CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Consumer Advocate Jackie Roberts says she hasn’t received a call from the governor’s office concerning a bill passed by state lawmakers that would deregulate some larger municipally-owned water and sewer systems and public service districts.
The legislature approved the bill (SB234) on the final night of the legislative session last Saturday. It removes the oversight of the state Public Service Commission from the rates and terms of service on those larger water and sewer companies.
Roberts told MetroNews Thursday that if she got that call from the governor’s office she would tell them she’s concerned for customers because the bill would deregulate a monopoly.
“They’re given a monopoly to sell water and in exchange they’re regulated (by the PSC) so someone is looking at that,” she said. “I am concerned for residential customers whenever an essential service like water is deregulated.”
Supporters of the bill say the municipal water and sewer companies and PSDs currently have no local oversight. They say signing the bill into law would put city councils in charge of oversight. The utilities maintain they would not be out of control in raising rates.
The consumer advocate Roberts isn’t so sure.
“If you’re going to give someone a monopoly over an essential service like water, generally you want some oversight of how they are providing service for their customers and at what cost,” she said.
The deregulation would only apply to PSDs with more than 4,500 customers and $3 million or more a year in revenue. That would basically cover the nine largest in the state.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has yet to receive the bill from the legislature.