20150710Comment.pdf

Jean Jewell
From:[e-mail]
Sent:Thursday,July 09,2015 9:38 PM
To:Beverly Barker;Jean Jewell;Gene Fadness
Cc:[e-mail]
Subject:Case Comment Form:Barry Flener
Name:Barry Flener
Case Number:
Email:[e-mail]
Telephone:[phone]
Address:PC Box 1629
Stanwood WA,98292
Name of Utility Company:Schweitzer Water Basin Company Acknowledge public record:True
Comment:5/28/2015
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
PC Box 83720
Boise,ID 83720-0074
Re:Case SCW-W-15-01 Schweitzer Water Basin Company Dear IPUC Commissioners,My comments are
on the application of the Schweitzer Basin Water LLC.
I have owned property within this water districts area since the early 1990’s.I built
4 homes (2 duplexes )on Slalom Road.I built the first in 1995.One of which was my own
home.(I have since moved my vacation home up the street to our new building that was
constructed in 1997)I have had interaction with the SBW (water Company )many times.I have
located 4 leaks in their system for them.3 of them they did not know existed.The other was
a major leak.Thousands of gallons of water where lost thru the system.We were entering the
December Holidays,we had several people staying at our home,and we had no water.
I contacted the owner,he and one other person (not an employee )were trying to find the
leak.I brought he and that person coffee and food to try and encourage them.This went on
for a couple days,finally the owner of the water company informed me he had no idea where
the leak might be “We and our guests used the Green Gables lodge for showers and getting
water.I could not understand why in this day and age a huge water leak of tens of thousands
of gallons of water could not be located?A figure the SBW owner gave me.
At this point there was the owner of the water system and one contractor trying to find the
leak.I thought <‘how hard,even with the snow ,can it be,to find a leak of tens of
thousands of gallons of water?”
I started walking the streets that the water system served,within about 2 hours I located
the leak,called the owner.He and the one man contractor he had hired showed up to start
fixing it.The contractor used his backhoe,the water system backhoe {if there is one }was
never at the repair site.The break could not be repaired as the SBW owner had no parts.They
had to be ordered.It was at this point the contractor began to inform me of the lack of
quality that was put into the system,the company he worked for actually built the water
lines that served our street.Apparently it met the minimum requirements but it was as he put
it the cheapest material you could use”.Either way the material broke off under the snow
load,SBW had no clue how to locate the leak.
We were without water for days.
I have shared then and many,many times since with the owner of the Water system that he
could spend just a little money each year and put in electronic monitoring systems that if
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there was a major leak,would allow him to know it just by driving around his system,in just
a short time he could locate it.He could put the monitors at key main valve locations.
Since that time I have located 3 additional leaks in the system that they had no idea that
water was leaking.2 of these on my property.One on the Southwest corner,just shortly after
I had paid for a survey.The Water Company had to tear up part of my lot and some asphalt
there,and the Survey marker for that corner was placed in the asphalt.My only request of
the water company owner was to have the corner re-surveyed and the property corner stake
replaced.He agreed,but in the end it was not done,someone simply drove a nail into the
pavement,suggesting it was the property corner.Complete lack of integrity.I have never
been informed that a RE-survey of my corner ever took place.
My biggest concern,and I believe the IPUC Commissioners should demand,is the potential lack
of fire flow.I have a fire Hydrant about $feet from my home,and I have no idea if it will
work or not.I believe everyone on this water system should be mailed a notice informing them
that even though there is a fire hydrant on their street or near their home,(my
understanding is )that the water company doesn’t have to provide enough water to it to fight
a fire at my home or in my neighborhood?This is my understanding from discussing this with
Idaho State officials.Please inform me if my understanding is incorrect?
Every home owner on this system should be informed whether they have a fire Hydrant that
works as one would expect it to.The insurance companies covering these home will be in shock
to know (if this is the case )that the fire Hydrant may or may not work.Wow.The Idaho
Public Utilities Commission should insist that all property owners understand that the
Hydrant in front of their home or nearby,may not work.This is unbelievable.Every owner
should be notified and informed.
I have built homes in small water systems,medium size systems and system with hundreds of
connections.I have built,designed,constructed many small water systems for the homes I
have built (being a builder of homes ).I still own one of those.I have never built a home
in a water system that had fire Hydrants,that may or may not work?They should function to
combat a fire,if and when needed.
Barry Flener
Owner
168 Slalom Rd
Sandpoint,Id 83864
Mailing address Cell:425.327.1452 Schweitzer Home 168 Slalom Rd
P0 Box 1629 Email:[e-mail]
Stanwood,WA 9$292
Unique Identifier:50.35.52.241
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