What The Washington County Service Authority does

The Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, established in 1953 and headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia. It provides potable water and wastewater services to approximately 90% of Washington County, Virginia residents through roughly 24,800 water connections and 2,300 wastewater connections. Core operations are built on a 900-mile water distribution network supported by 26 storage tanks, 28 pumping stations, 50 pressure zones, and 1,800 fire hydrants, plus 100 miles of wastewater collection piping tied to two water treatment plants and two wastewater treatment plants with combined surface water, membrane filtration, spring, and well sources. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) has been deployed system-wide for automated meter reading.

WCSA generates revenue almost exclusively through recurring monthly user fees (water base charges plus tiered usage rates, wastewater base charges plus usage rates, and monthly availability fees) and one-time water and sewer connection fees for new customers. Rates are publicly disclosed and adjusted periodically through board-approved public hearings, with the latest schedules effective for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Capital projects are co-funded by USDA Rural Development, the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Washington County, and the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission, with occasional supplemental grants supplementing internally generated cash. Customer segments include residential households, non-residential commercial accounts, and industrial accounts subject to backflow prevention compliance, with no material dependence on any single end customer. WCSA is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Washington County Board of Supervisors and currently led by General Manager Robbie Cornett and Operations Manager Dave Cheek.

Name

The Washington County Service Authority

Legal name

Washington County Service Authority

Website

https://wcsawater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Washington County Service Authority is a Virginia political subdivision providing water and wastewater utility services to approximately 90% of Washington County, Virginia residents through 24,800 water and 2,300 wastewater connections across a 900-mile pipeline network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utilities

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Treated Drinking Water Transmission Pipelines (Bulk Conveyance) (TLAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wastewater Interceptor & Regional Conveyance Pipelines (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAE), Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater treatment
• Water distribution
• Sewer collection
• Public water supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Abingdon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewer Connection Fees: One-time connection fees charged to new customers for hookup to water and wastewater services. Customer must sign user agreement and pay connection charges.
2. Monthly User Fees: Recurring monthly charges based on water usage (per thousand gallons) plus base service charges. Wastewater fees charged separately with base charges and usage rates. Residential customers also pay monthly availability fees.
3. Government Grants: Occasional grant funding from Virginia Department of Health, USDA Rural Development, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and Washington County for capital infrastructure projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WCSA provides potable water supply, treatment, and distribution, along with wastewater collection and treatment, to residential and non-residential customers in Washington County, Virginia. The utility operates 900 miles of water pipelines, 100 miles of wastewater collection lines, 26 water storage tanks, 28 pumping stations, and two water treatment plants plus two wastewater treatment plants, serving approximately 24,800 water connections and 2,300 wastewater connections.

Product overview

The Washington County Service Authority provides water and wastewater utilities to Washington County, Virginia, operating as a political subdivision of state government. The core offerings include residential and non-residential water service (supply, treatment, and distribution) and wastewater/sewer service (collection and treatment). Supporting services include waterline and sewer line extensions to underserved areas, backflow prevention programs for commercial customers, lead service line inventory compliance, and online bill payment through iWebMS. The utility serves approximately 24,785 water connections and 2,300 wastewater connections across a 900-mile pipeline network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Water Service Potable water supply, treatment, and distribution services for residential households in Washington County, Virginia, billed via monthly base charges plus tiered usage fees and one-time connection charges.
• Residential Wastewater Service Wastewater collection and treatment services for residential customers, billed via separate monthly base charges and usage rates plus a monthly availability fee.
• Non-Residential Water and Wastewater Service Water supply and wastewater collection/treatment services for commercial, industrial, institutional, and other non-residential customers in Washington County, with separate non-residential pricing and backflow prevention compliance requirements.
• Backflow Prevention Program Regulatory program requiring backflow prevention assemblies to prevent contamination of the public water distribution system from commercial, industrial, and high-hazard customers.
• Online Bill Payment (iWebMS) Online customer-facing bill payment service for water and sewer accounts, accessible via the iWebMS portal.
• Waterline Extension Services Capital service extending public water mains to unserved areas of Washington County, including design, funding acquisition, and construction of new waterline infrastructure.
• Sewer Line Extension Services Capital service expanding sewer collection infrastructure to underserved areas, including the Lee Highway Corridor Sewer Expansion Project to bring sewer service to the west-central portion of Washington County.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 consecutive years of Gold Standard of Excellence recognition from Virginia Department of Health
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Town of ChilhowiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership for shared use of the Regional Mill Creek Water Treatment Plant, serving customers of both WCSA and the Town of Chilhowie.
• Thompson & LittonsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering firm that designed the Lee Highway Corridor Sewer Improvements Project, a multi-phase project bringing sewer service to the west-central portion of Washington County.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fairfax Water: Largest water utility in Virginia serving Fairfax County and surrounding jurisdictions. Comparable as an established Virginia water authority with similar governance structure (political subdivision), though materially larger scale and more urban customer base.
• Hampton Roads Sanitation District: Large regional wastewater utility serving 18 cities and counties in southeastern Virginia. Comparable for wastewater treatment operations and Virginia regulatory environment, though at significantly greater scale and density.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility serving over 14 million people across 14 states. Comparable in core water/wastewater utility business model and regulated rate base, though vastly larger and investor-owned rather than government-owned.
• Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America): Large US water and natural gas utility serving over 5 million people across 10 states. Comparable for regulated water/wastewater utility operations, rate base economics, and infrastructure capex model, though geographically diversified and investor-owned.
• Newport News Waterworks: Virginia municipal water utility serving the City of Newport News and portions of surrounding counties. Comparable as a Virginia water utility serving residential and commercial customers with similar treatment and distribution operations.

Others

• Veolia North America: Operates and manages municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities across North America under contract. Comparable as a water/wastewater operations provider though Veolia is private operator vs. WCSA's government-owner model.
• Thompson & Litton: Engineering firm that designed WCSA's Lee Highway Corridor Sewer Improvements Project. Comparable as an infrastructure partner supporting water/wastewater utility capital programs in Virginia and the Appalachian region.

Regional players

• Bluestone Resources (Mount Rogers Water Authority): Regional water authority serving parts of Southwest Virginia including Washington County-adjacent areas. Comparable as a small Virginia regional water utility serving similar rural Appalachian geography, though primarily a wholesale water supplier.

Direct peers

• Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority: Neighboring municipal utility in Bristol, Virginia providing water, wastewater, electric, and broadband services. Directly comparable as a small Southwest Virginia regional water/wastewater utility authority serving similar rural Appalachian geography and customer base.
• Loudoun Water: Virginia regional water and wastewater authority serving Loudoun County. Comparable as a Virginia political subdivision water/wastewater utility, though significantly larger and faster-growing than WCSA in suburban Northern Virginia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Washington County Service Authority