20201110Comments(3).pdf

From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Tuesday, November 10, 2020 7:00:04 AM
The following comments were submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Darcy James
Submission Time: Nov 9 2020 7:50PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 5025 W Wolfe St.
Boise, ID 83705
Name of Utility Company: Suez Water Idaho
Case ID: SUZ-W-20-02
Comment: "I wish to direct the Commission's attention to the fact that many of my neighborson the Boise Bench have been complaining for years about brown water coming from their
taps. That Suez is basing their request for a significant fee increase based on "improvements"they have allegedly made, while continually deferring attention to Boise Bench brown water,
is incredible. Idaho PUC should require Suez to offset any such rate increases with targeteddiscounts to customers who have yet to see any practical response to their cries for decent
water. "
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Name: Karen BenningSubmission Time: Nov 9 2020 9:03PM
Email: [e-mail]: 907-250-1246
Address: 2901 N Crane Creek RdBoise, ID 83702
Name of Utility Company: Suez
Case ID: SUZ-W-20-02
Comment: "I recently received a notice from Suez proposing to increase our water rates by
22.3%. This proposed increase is problematic, for several reasons: • Suez implemented a rateincrease in 2015, by 6% - although they requested an increase of 13.2%. If they’d had their
way, the two increases would total 35.5% - in just five years. (The preceding company hadalso requested a rate increase four years before that, in 2011.) Ada County is growing, but I
don’t believe that it has grown by that much in the past ten years, based on the census data. •In addition to the rate increase, they will be able to claim tax deductions on these capital
investments over a period of years through depreciation. It would be helpful for them to betransparent about what that combined benefit will be, and whether that tax benefit has been
taken into account when calculating their desired rate increase. • The biggest problem I havewith this requested rate increase is that it would would also increase Suez’s rate of return from
4.1% to 7.5% - in other words, their own rate of return will increase by 83%, or nearly double. In a filing with the Public Utilities Commission, the company said that would be a “fair rate of
return on Suez Water’s investment in property used and useful in rendering water service.” They knew the rate of return when they bought out the local company, and they chose to
invest in the company, which implies they knew from the start that they would start hiking rates right away. Thank you for the opportunity to submit a comment on this open case."
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Name: James Focarile
Submission Time: Nov 10 2020 10:14AM
Email: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]
Address: 3734 E. TIMBERSAW DR.
BOISE, ID 83716
Name of Utility Company: SUEZ
Case ID: SUZ-W-20-02
Comment: "Received a postcard in the mail detailing Suez $115 Million investment plan. While I
understand improvements may be needed to keep the system safe and modern, the proposed
average
increase to customer bills of 22.3% or $6.61/month is extremely high. I would ask that the
increase
be rolled out at a lower percentage and over more time so it is not so burdensome to consumers."