Water Rates

Water bills in our region have been increasing, but imagine my surprise when I saw the regional water rates posted by Fairfax Water .  At first glance the water rates appeared to have gone down, but like many things instead had suffered shrinkflation. The amount of water in the standard quarterly bill was reduced from 18,000 gallons to 15,000 gallons. So, rates indeed went up again. Manassas Park has reclaimed its title of most expensive water in the region grabbing it back from the Town of Leesburg.

There is no true “cost” of water, the price charged for water, often does not reflect its value or true cost.  Recently, Fairfax Water announced its intention to raise their water rates next spring as they do almost every winter. There will be, as usual, a public hearing on Thursday, December 12, 2024, on the proposed rate increase held at Fairfax Water’s main office at 8570 Executive Park Avenue in Fairfax. This rate increase is part of their ongoing program to ensure that the water infrastructure in Fairfax County is maintained. The proposed rate increase will go into effect April 1, 2025. Visit Fairfaxwater.org/rates for a complete list of rate and fee increases.

The need for infrastructure replacement is an issue that has caused significant service problems and rate increases in other parts of the Washington Metropolitan region. Fairfax Water Board of Directors have dedicated funding to infrastructure maintenance and replacement for many years and has forecast future capital needs for replacing water mains in the system. The Town of Leesburg did not have a capital program in place. 

Every time they propose to raise water rates, Fairfax Water performs a comparison of the water costs throughout the Washington Metropolitan region. I have tracked this information over the years, and was shocked to see rates decrease this year, until I read the footnote. The comparison of rates as of July 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 was base on a quarterly use of 18,000 gallons of residential water . In 2024 Fairfax Water choose to change the quantity of water used for the comparison to 15,000. This will not only appear to reduce rates but might also change the excess charges. I adjusted up the rates by 120% to make them more or less comparable to previous years. Fairfax Water’s rate has returned to the lowest in the Washington metropolitan region, but they choose the comparison rules.  Fairfax Water sells water to Prince William Service Authority, American Water, Manassas Park and others.