Residents of Orange and Madison counties may see their water and sewer bills increase this year. At least that’s what the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA), their provider, has proposed to help maintain and improve services, according to a public announcement.
Lake of the Woods, a subdivision of Locust Grove in Orange County, might experience the most significant change. In addition to the minimum monthly fee increasing by $1.13, RSA has proposed a new monthly “LOW Vac Sewer Upgrade” fee of $23.50. The monthly fee related to maintaining the sewer collection system would also increase by $3, to $10 from $7. The effect this will have on customers’ bills will vary based on their water and sewer use.
This proposal is based on findings from a recent engineering study, which concluded that all 13 vacuum sewer pump stations in Lake of the Woods require a “comprehensive update,” RSA said in the public notice for the area. These stations are responsible for moving sewage from collection tanks to treatment facilities.
“RSA has performed routine maintenance on these stations to maintain a high level of reliability; however, key components such as electrical equipment, pumps, and building systems are undersized and beyond their useful life,” the RSA notice states. “It is imperative that these pump stations are able to remain in service continuously in order to prevent failure of the vacuum sewer system.”
The increase would fund a multi-million dollar plan to improve RSA’s aging infrastructure — an issue that has caused recurring sewer overflows, according to past public notices released by RSA..
The last major overhaul of the Lake of the Woods system occurred in the early 1990s, according to RSA.
For more information on proposed rates, see RSA’s official notice with the breakdown of increases and other resources.
Take Action
Rapidan Service Authority (RSA), a water and sewer provider in Orange and Madison Counties, has proposed an increase in pricing for their services. (For more information, see RSA’s notice about the proposed increases.) RSA also proposed a new sewer fee for the Lake of the Woods in Orange County that would pay for an upgrade of sewer infrastructure. RSA will hold several public hearings about the matter:
- Hearings for customers in the Route 15 service area and the Route 20 service area will be scheduled and advertised at a later date.
- Hearing for customers in the Locust Grove/Wilderness service area: Held Thursday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m., at Locust Grove Middle School, 6368 Flat Run Rd, Locust Grove.
- Hearing for customers in the Madison service area: Thursday, Jan. 9, 7 p.m., at the Madison County Administration Building, 302 Thrift Rd, Madison.
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