20051228final_order_no_29934.pdf

Office ofthe Secretary
Service Date
December 28, 2005
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF UNITED WATER IDAHO INC. FOR
AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES
AND CHARGES FOR WATER SERVICE IN
THE STATE OF IDAHO ORDER NO. 29934
CASE NO. UWI-O4-
On November 21 2005 , United Water Idaho Inc. filed a Petition seeking amendment
of the Commission s final Order on reconsideration, Order No. 29871 , issued in the Company
recent rate case. The Commission directed the Company in that Order to prepare a conservation
plan and submit it for review no later than April 1 , 2006. In its Petition, United Water states that
it solicited proposals from qualified consulting firms for preparation of a conservation plan.
Only one firm submitted a responsive bid, however, and some of the firms indicated the
proposed timeframe was too short to complete and file a conservation plan.
United Water asserts in its Petition that preparation of a suitable conservation plan is
not feasible by April 1 , 2006, and requests that Order No. 29871 be amended to extend the
deadline to December 1 2006. Specifically, United Water proposed the following schedule:
Update to the Commission on status of the
ongoing plan revision by:April 1 , 2006
Submit the final revised conservation plan to
the Commission by:December 1 , 2006
Commission completes its review ofthe plan
by:February 1 2007
United Water begins initial implementation of
the revised plan no later than: June 1 , 2007
Commission Rule of Procedure 57 provides 21 days for any party to answer a
petition. The period for filing answers terminated on December 12 2005 , and only one response
was filed. Idaho Rivers United (IRU) on November 28, 2005 filed a one-sentence answer to
United Water s Petition, stating IRU does not oppose the Company s Petition to extend the
deadline for submission of a conservation plan.
ORDER NO. 29934
United Water filed its Petition pursuant to Commission Rule of Procedure 326(b),
which states that any person may petition to amend a final Order pursuant to Idaho Code 9 61-
624. That statute provides that the Commission at any time may amend any decision made by it
upon notice to the public utility affected and after opportunity for the utility to be heard as
provided in the case of complaints. Complaint cases require that a utility complained against
have an opportunity to present evidence at a hearing. Where a utility is itself requesting
amendment, there is no hearing requirement, and United Water in its Petition did not request any
additional process for the Commission to consider its Petition.
The Commission has determined to approve United Water s Petition to amend Order
No. 29871 to extend the deadline for submission of a conservation plan. It is clear from the
Petition that it is not feasible for the Company to complete a new plan by the date set in Order
No. 29871. Only one party filed an answer to United Water s Petition, expressing support for
extension of the deadline. Accordingly, we approve the schedule proposed by the Company in
its Petition and therefore issue this Order to amend Order No. 29871.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Order No. 29871 is amended to extend the filing
deadline for United Water to submit a new conservation plan. The Company is directed to
provide an update on the status of the conservation planning process to the Commission by April
, 2006, and to prepare and submit a plan by December 1 , 2006.
THIS IS A FINAL ORDER. Any person interested in this Order may petition for
reconsideration within twenty-one (21) days of the service date of this Order. Within seven (7)
days after any person has petitioned for reconsideration, any other person may cross-petition for
reconsideration. See Idaho Code 9 61-626.
ORDER NO. 29934
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this J.gt4-
day of December 2005.
01~
MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:
D. Jewell
C mmission S cretary
O:UWI-04-04 ws
ORDER NO. 29934