Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java.
Upcoming Meetings
2012-01-23
Regular Board Meeting


Departments
Frequently Asked Questions.
Question:
 How do I transfer service?
Answer:
 Please call our office between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday- Friday. A non-refundable $40 service charge will be applied to your first months billing.
   
Question:
 Can I schedule a tour of WCSA’s facilities?
Answer:
 Yes! We are delighted to give tours to any size group. Call our office to schedule.
   
Question:
 Can I get an extension on my bill?
Answer:
 Yes. If you can’t pay your bill before disconnection of service, an extension form may be completed at our office or over the phone. All penalties and handling fees are still added to your account. The form requires you to give a date and time when your payment can be expected.
   
Question:
 Can I make a time payment?
Answer:
 Yes. Time payments are available for customers with high water bills due to leaks. After completing a form at our office, you will have a certain amount due by a designated day every month. All penalties are credited unless time payments and current water billings are not paid by the designated due date.
   
Question:
 Where is my water shut-off valve?
Answer:
 In the event of an emergency, it might be necessary to turn off the main water valve coming into your home. It is important that everyone know where their main water shut-off valve is located. In most homes, it is located on the basement wall where the water line first enters the house. The shut-off valve is the first valve on the pipe.
   
Question:
 Do you have an adjustment policy for leaks?
Answer:
 Yes. If you find leak in your line or inside your home have it repaired and contact our office for more details. You can also download a leak adjustment form from our web site under the customer service request tab. Please complete this form and return this to our office as soon as possible.
   
Question:
 Why do I have low water pressure?
Answer:
 Many factors influence pressure, including elevation, line size, and system demand. If you have a question about your water pressure, please call our office.
   
Question:
 What is WCSA?
Answer:
 The Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) is the third largest water and sewer utility in southwest Virginia, serving approximately 21,500 water connections and approximately 1,500 wastewater connections in Washington County and surrounding areas. WCSA is a political entity chartered under the Water and Waste Authorities Act by Washington County. Though our roots go back 100 years, WCSA was chartered in 1953 as the Goodson Kinderhook Water Authority and then consolidated with the Washington County Sanitary District #1 in 1976. Our goal is to provide exceptional water and wastewater service at a reasonable cost to our existing customers and to expand our water distribution and wastewater collection systems to provide these services to growing and unserved areas of the county.
   
Question:
 What is WCSA’s Governing Body?
Answer:
 Our operations are governed by a Board of Commissioners, whose members are appointed by the Washington County Board of Supervisors. The WCSA Board of Commissioners currently meets the fourth Monday of each month in the WCSA board room. Board meetings are open to the public and County residents are encouraged to attend. For a schedule of meeting times, please call our office or visit our website.
   
Question:
 How is WCSA Funded?
Answer:
 WCSA is not supported by tax revenues. Our cost of operations is supported solely through income generated from rates, fees and charges, most of which comes from “connection” and “monthly user” fees. The cost of capital improvements related to growth (water treatment plants, pumps, tanks and lines) and providing additional capacity into our infrastructure creates financial demands that must be absorbed by new customers through connection fees. WCSA funds new water and sewer system extension projects through loans provided by agencies such as the Virginia Department of Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and USDA Rural Development. Although WCSA applies for grant funding for specific projects, our projects are funded primarily through loans as WCSA is usually not grant eligible.
   
Question:
 What Does a Connection Fee Include?
Answer:
 For residential customers, the connection fee is a one-time fee assessed when a customer formally applies for service (when service is available to the property.) WCSA implements a two-part connection fee. This comprehensive fee consists of a tap fee, which covers the physical cost of making the tap into the system, setting the meter and processing the necessary paperwork internally; and a system fee, which is the purchase of the required amount of capacity to serve a new customer in WCSA’s existing water treatment and distribution systems. A typical water or sewer “line extension” project which doesn’t include the upstream infrastructure to serve it will cost WCSA more than $20,000 per connection.
   
Question:
 Where Does WCSA’s Water Come From?
Answer:
 WCSA takes raw source water from the Middle Fork of the Holston River, two large springs (located in the Mill Creek and Taylor’s Valley communities) and from a well in Mendota. These raw sources are treated by effective methods and then pumped into the water system. All of the water produced by WCSA must meet water quality requirements set by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the EPA. WCSA has consistently met and even surpassed these stringent requirements. WCSA also purchases water from Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority and the Town of Saltville.
   
Question:
 Will WCSA Hook My House Plumbing to the Meter?
Answer:
 Installation of a service line from the meter to the residence is the customer’s responsibility. WCSA recommends that customers get estimates and compare prices before hiring someone to do this type of work. The customer is also responsible for locating and repairing all leaks on the customer’s line between the residence and meter.
   
Question:
 Can I Continue to Use My Private Water Source After Connecting to the WCSA System?
Answer:
 WCSA customers are required to maintain a physical separation between any plumbing that provides water from a private source (wells, springs, etc.) and plumbing that provides water from the WCSA water supply. This means you can continue to use your well or spring water for other purposes as long as it has separate plumbing.
   
Question:
 Can I Hook Two Houses or Buildings To The Same Water Meter?
Answer:
 A separate meter must be purchased for each additional structure.