Fairfax questioning Falls Church water rate rise

After more than a year of controversy and litigation over what it does with its profits, the Falls Church water utility is set to raise water prices this month — a move already drawing the scrutiny of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Falls Church is proposing an 8 percent rate increase for next year, between 2 to 6 cents more per gallon, that could grow to a 30 percent increase by 2015.

But some say the city is only raising rates to recoup the money the water utility lost after a judge ruled that it could no longer charge Fairfax residents more than it was charging Falls Church customers and then shifting those profits to the utility’s operating budget.