20130417Comment.pdf

Jean Jewell
From: robertIuten.us
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 4:20 PM
To: Jean Jewell; Beverly Barker; Gene Fadness
Subject: PUC Comment Form
A Comment from Robert H. Luten follows:
Case Number: SPL-W-13-01
Name: Robert H. Luten
Address: 5655 W Coeur d'Alene Dr
City: Spirit Lake
State: ID
Zip: 83869
Daytime Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail: robertluten.us
Name of Utility Company: Spirit Lake East Water Company
Acknowledge: acknowledge
Please describe your comment briefly:
I strongly support the referenced case for rate increase. I was also a member of the ad hoc
effort by Spirit Lake East residents to acquire the Spirit Lake East Water Company several
years ago. It had been obvious for quite a long time that the company was grossly
underfunded due to low water rates and deferred maintenance was becoming critical. It was
also clear that the system required expansion to support fire hydrants throughout the Spirit
Lake East and Treeport subdivisions.
It was my conclusion at the time (approximately 2006-2007, as I recall) that the net worth,
or reasonable purchase value, of the company and water system was something on the order of
NEGATIVE $1-2,000,000 due to the maintenance and upgrades required to support the current
population of the two subdivisions. We found that the system had never been designed to
support the full build-out of the two divisions and was already suffering from inadequate
distribution pipe sizing.
I may be peculiar, but I have a full sprinkler system in my residential hangar at 5655 W
Coeur d'Alene Drive, but only a 3/4-inch meter drop off (as I recall) a 4-inch main down
Coeur d'Alene Drive. If more than one sprinkler in my hangar ever fires, the flow will be
immediately reduced to a trickle. It will be interesting to see how liabilities are resolved
after that potential incident.
It is unfortunate that a doubling of water rates is immediately required, but the two
subdivisions have benefited from amazingly low water rates for decades and it is now time to
pay the piper.
The form submitted on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuci/
``€€ipuc.html
IP address is 50.89.38.141
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