20060823Comments.pdf

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RECEIVED
August 20, 2006
2006 AUG 23 AM 8: 13
IDAHO PUBLIr
UTILITIES COMMISSION
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-0074
Case No. SPL-06-
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
We recently received a letter from the Spirit Lake East Water Company of Spokane Valley, Washington who supplies water
to our residence.
This letter covered the proposed overall increase water rate of $24.00 for the fIrst 9 000 gallons of water used per month
and then $.20 for every 100 gallons used thereafter per month. Also they would increase the first time connection fee from
200.00 to $2 500.00 for new services that are not currently connected to the Company s system.
We feel a rate increase is justified; however, we would like to propose that you leave the water rate as $12.00 for the first
000 gallons of water used, but increase to $.30 for every 100 gallons used thereafter per month. This way, our residents
living on fIXed incomes will not be impacted much. And people using a lot of water will be inclined to reduce the amount
they use.
We do feel, however, that the fIrst time connection fee is unusually high and really does not need to be that high. Spirit
Lake East Water Company just raised this fee a short time ago; why double the fee again? So many people building a
home forthe first time are already hard pressed to gather all the funds they require.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this proposed rate increase.
Sincerely,
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Frank~d Shi ey R. James
822 Sky Hawk Drive
Spirit Lake, ID 83869
[phone]
cc:Spirit Lake East Water Company
15807 E. Indiana Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99216
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Jean Jewell
Vlo A-J./fo~'i If
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Ed Howell
Tuesday, August 20066:49 PM
Jean Jewell; Ed Howell; Gene Fadness; Tonya Clark
Comment acknowledgement
WNW Form Submission:
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
5: 49: 27
Case: SPL-W--06-1
Name: Ronald Bart
Street Address: P.O. Box 537
City: Athol
State: ID
ZIP: 83801
Horne Telephone: [phone]E-Mail: ron.bart~hughes.net
Company: Spirit Lake East Water Co.mailing list _yes _no:
Comment description: This user concurs wi th Company s desire to increase rates.
The submitted application provides adequate justification for the requested monthly rateincrease and connection fee increase.
This user does not concur with the amount requested.
In short, request is too small and, while allowing Company to payoff accumulated debt to
parent company, Hanson Industries, does not set aside any funds for capital improvement in
quality monitoring, backflow prevention (currently non-existent), fire tanker refillstations (also currently non-esistent) , or replacement of aging equipment. Strategic
planning guides, available from the EPA, provide estimated useful lives of storage tanks
at 30-60 years. We are half-way to the midpoint. Pumps are estimated at 10-15 years. I
don t know the age of the booster pumps, but the main well pump is only 2 years old having
failed in 2004. Distribution pipes are estimated at 30-45 years. We are halfway to the
midpoint. Meters are estimated at 10-15 years. Many existing meters exceed that.
Failure to impound funds for capital improvement is short sighted and conflicts with
Company s stated rationale for the rate increase in their notice to system users, to wit
... so that it (the Company) can provide safe, reliable, and adequate service." Such
short sightedness will only lead to more sustained outages such as the one in October,
2004 lasting over 10 days.
Connection fees should be increased to $4000 each while monthly fees should be quadrupled
to $48/month for the first 9000 gallons and $0.40/100 gallons thereafter.
In return for these higher rates, users request Company install mechanical backflow
prevention on each service connection; install fire tanker refill stations at strategic
locations throughout the two homeowners associations where suitable water main sizes
permi t; provide regular and timely reports of water quality testing, and provide at least
annual fiscal reports on the status of the capital improvement impound funds and plans for
capi tal improvements and replacements.
Transaction ID: 8221749.Referred by: http: 1 Iwww. puc. state. id. us scripts/polyform. dll ipuc
User Address: 69.19.14.
User Hostname: 69.19.14.