your sewer rates: an investment in water quality
DESCRIPTION
ASA explains its new rate scheduleTRANSCRIPT
Your Sewer rateS:An Investment in Water Quality
Alexandria Sanitation Authority
who are we andwhat do we do?We are the Alexandria Sanitation Authority
(ASA), maintaining one of the most
advanced water treatment facilities in
the United States on a 35-acre site within
walking distance of Old Town Alexandria.
ASA serves about 350,000 people in
the City of Alexandria and part of Fairfax
County, processing an average of 12 billion
gallons of wastewater every year.
Here at ASA, we are committed to being
an environmental steward, good neighbor,
and industry leader in our day-to-day work
of making dirty water clean again.
how iS MY Bill CalCulated?Sewer usage is established for the year based on your winter quarter usage, which you will see in your February bill. For the other three quarters of the year, your bill is calculated at this level or the actual usage for the quarter, whichever is lower. The “Current Wastewater Charge” is $6.36 per 1,000 gallons used, plus an account service charge per bill.
whY do we need to raiSe rateS?It’s a fact: the cost of treating water is going to increase in the coming years. One reason is more stringent environmental regulations that call for cleaner wastewater that will help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This requires ASA – and most wastewater treatment agencies in the region – to upgrade our facility so that we can continue to operate.
Plans are well underway for our State-of-the-Art Nitrogen Upgrade Project (SANUP), which will cost $129 million over the next seven years. SANUP will result in treated water that is even cleaner before being released into Hunting Creek, feeding into the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
Other capital projects are also planned to upgrade pump stations, manage bio-solids in a sustainable way, and develop a water reuse program. These projects will cost approximately $222 million over ten years, and are necessary steps to allow ASA to continue to serve you – our customers.
the BottoM line – how MuCh will
thiS CoSt Me?ASA has recommended a
three-year phased approachto our rate increase: a 9%
increase to the Account Service Charge effective October 1, 2010, a 9% increase in 2012,and an 8% increase in 2013.
There will also be a new“Bay Protection Charge” – per account for residential
customers, and per meter for commercial customers.
A detailed table of therates are shown, but this
equates to roughly an extra$9 per quarter, or an average
of $3 per month.
ProPoSed QuarterlY rateS [1]
Description Current Effective Effective Effective Oct 1, 2010 Oct 1, 2012 Oct 1, 2013
Gallonage Charge, Per 1,000 $6.36 $6.36 $6.36 $6.36Gallons Water Consumption [2]
Account Service Charge, Per Bill $4.51 $5.27 $6.02 $6.78Rendered
Residential Bay Protection $0.00 $8.38 $16.77 $25.15Charge Per Account
Commercial Bay ProtectionCharge per Meter [3]
5/8” $0.00 $25.15 $50.30 $75.453/4” 0.00 25.15 50.30 75.45 1” 0.00 62.87 125.74 188.621-1/2” 0.00 125.75 251.50 377.252” 0.00 201.20 402.40 603.593” 0.00 377.25 754.50 1,131.744” 0.00 628.74 1,257.48 1,886.23
[1] Rates shown reflect charges from the Alexandria Sanitation Authority and do not include any applicable Utility Taxes and Sewer Service Chargesfrom the City of Alexandria.
[2] Residential cusotmers are not billed the gallonage charge for quarterly metered water consumption above the greater of eitheri) their respective winter quarter average; or ii) 9,000 gallons.
[3] For purposes of this advertisement, commercial charges are shown on a quarterly basis. Commercial customers billed on a monthly basiswould have the quarterly Bay Protection Charge equally distributed per month.
Questions?You can email questions regarding your wastewater treatment and rates
to [email protected] or call (703) 549-3381 x2237. Visit alexsan.com to find out moreinformation about what ASA is doing to improve water quality and protect our natural resources.
e n v i r o n M e n t a n d P e o P l e - t h e B e St o f B ot h !
how do we Compare with other local wastewater agencies?
Nearly every jurisdiction in the Washington, DC region has adopted or plans to
adopt water treatment rate increases in the coming years to ensure their ability
to meet new environmental regulations and help restore the health of the
Chesapeake Bay.
ASA’s proposed rate schedule is lower than most other jurisdictions, except
Arlington and Prince William County. Fairfax County has adopted a 17.89%
increase for FY2010, while DC Water approved a 10% increase.