CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Bills reflecting flushing credits for West Virginia American Water Company customers in parts of nine counties where a do-not-use water order was issued in January will start going out on Friday.
For residential customers, the credits will cover 1,000 gallons or $10.29. For small businesses, the credits will cover 2,000 gallons or $20.58.
“We bill every day, so they (the credits) will start with the bills being mailed on Friday and they’ll continue, essentially, for a month,” said Jeff McIntyre, WVAW President and CEO.
The credits are meant to cover the costs of the system flushing WVAW recommended for its customers once water zones were cleared to resume regular water usage following the Jan. 9 leak of crude MCHM and PPH at Freedom Industries.
The estimated 10,000 gallons of the chemical compound traveled downstream to the Kanawha Valley Water Treatment Plant and, from there, went out through the company’s extensive system.
McIntyre first announced the plans for the credits in the days after the do-not-use water order was first issued for 300,000 West Virginians.
Those credits, though, did not take effect immediately. He said, before they were issued, company officials wanted to meet with staff members for the state Public Service Commission, as a precaution, about the steps being taken.
Speaking to members of the House Health and Human Resources at the State Capitol on Thursday, McIntyre said the PSC did not have to approve the planned credits.
“We probably took too long to do that (meet with the PSC),” admitted McIntyre. “But the timing is ours and ours alone.”