Frequently Asked Questions

Effective July 1, 2025, the PSA's rates for residential water and wastewater will be $35 for each service up to 4,000 gallons. Additional usage will be charged at a rate of $5.50 per 1,000 gallons over the base. Non-residential customers will be charged $50 per service up to 4,000 gallons and the rates for additional usage will be $7.80 per 1,000 gallons over base. The rate for RV/Campgrounds will be $50 per service up to 4,000 gallons. Additional usage will be charged at a rate of $12 per 1,000 gallons over base. Institutional customers will be charged $73.50 per service based on 6,000 gallons. Any additional usage will be charged at a rate of $8.90 per 1,000 gallons over base.   

This modest $5 increase per service—just 17 cents a day—isn’t about raising revenue. It’s about keeping your water clean, your wastewater systems reliable, and your community safe. The cost of doing business has gone up sharply: electricity is up 43%, chemicals up 65%, and wastewater treatment fees up 35%—yet we’ve maintained the same rates since 2013. We’re not charging more because we’ve been careless. Quite the opposite—our finance team has worked diligently to stretch every dollar, and we’re only implementing this change now because the operational pressures have become unsustainable.

The new rate for water and sewer services was developed after a detailed review of current and projected financial needs. Several key factors influenced the adjustment:

• Rising operational costs, including increases in the price of treatment chemicals, energy, and equipment.
• Aging infrastructure requiring significant reinvestment and rehabilitation to maintain system reliability.
• Regulatory requirements that demand compliance with updated water quality and environmental standards.
• Capital improvement needs, such as vehicle replacements, tank maintenance, and system rehabilitation projects.
• Cost comparisons with other localities to ensure our rates remain competitive and affordable.
• Revenue sufficiency to meet bondholder obligations, including required debt coverage ratios.
• No rate increases over the past decade, despite inflation and cost pressures.

The goal is to ensure safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible service delivery while keeping rates fair and sustainable over the long term.

Every single dollar from this rate adjustment will be reinvested directly into system operations, infrastructure improvements, and long-term resilience. This rate increase will be an investment in uninterrupted, high-quality service. This increase allows us to make timely repairs, replace aging lines before they fail, and avoid more costly emergencies down the road. This isn’t just about today—it’s about the next generation. The systems we build and maintain now ensure safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment for years to come. We’re also staying ahead of stricter environmental and health regulations, which protect both you and our local waterways.

The short answer is we have cut costs. We constantly monitor our costs and make adjustments as often as we can. It is one of the reasons that we have been able to avoid a rate increase over the last 12 years. For instance, the PSA has entered into employee-sharing agreements with Henry County so that we can better manage personnel costs. We've made a concerted effort to leverage grant funds to finance construction and renovation projects. Ultimately, we would not be able to make the budget cuts necessary this year to mitigate these increased costs without reducing the quality of service that our customers expect and deserve. 

Even with this $10 monthly adjustment for water and wastewater services, our rates remain significantly lower than both the state and national averages. While many communities are paying $40 or more each month per service for similar services, our customers continue to receive high-quality service at a much more affordable rate.