20130410Customer Notice.pdf

REC Ell 1EIi
Spirit Lake East Water Company
AN 11: 29 P.O. Box 3388
Coeur D Alene ID 83816
1.877.755.9287
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CUSTOMER NOTICE
4.9.2013
To Customers of Spirit Lake Water Company,
An application has been filed with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) for
approval of a rate increase of 106 % for residential water. We are requesting that
the fee for residential water use be increased from $12.50 per month to $24.75.
There has not been a significant rate increase for the water system in 30 years,
although the commission did approve a modest increase of $.50 in 2007. Since
2007 there has been a shift in ownership and management for the Spirit Lake East
Water Company with the new operators having more than 40 years of combined
experience in the development and operations of local community water and
wastewater systems. In the past five years we have done our best to provide good
service and quality water to our customers but have found that under the current
rate structure our normal operational costs significantly exceed our revenue. We
strive to maintain the water system to the highest possible standards following the
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Rules and Best Management Practices
and it is of great concern to us that the future of our water system is at risk with
our current limited financial resources. We hope that you have noticed a positive
difference in your service with the upgrades and repairs that the system has
undergone, such as an increase in water pressure, dependable back up power
generation for pumping, and main line leak repairs. We feel that you as the
customer deserve a dependable water resource with a fully functional infrastructure
and that this rate increase would not only allow us a greater focus on providing
basic services but that it will also open the door for future system wide upgrades.
We would like to ask for the support of our customers to help us to continue to
provide a quality product while keeping water rates in line with other area water
systems. We greatly appreciate your time and thank you for your consideration.
This application is a proposal, subject to public review and a Commission decision.
A copy of the application is available for review at the office of the Commission or
by appointment only at the office of Spirit Lake East Water Company by calling
1.877.755.9287. The application may also be viewed on the IPUC web site at
www.puc.idaho.gov . The application and other case information may be found by
clicking on the "WATER" icon, then on "OPEN WATER CASES" and scrolling down to
Case No SPL-W-13-01.
Interested parties may mail written comments to the Idaho Public Utilities
Commission, P0 Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074. Comments may be submitted
by email on the IPUC web site by clicking on the "Contact Us" link.