20080107Comments.pdf

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Community
Action
Partership
Association of
Idaho
5400 W. Friinklin Rd., Suite G
Boise.ID 83705
Phone: [phone]
Toll Free: 1-877.315.7382
Fal(: 20&-342-207&
Emiiil:. mchanttl4capai.org
Community Action
Partnership (CAP)
208.746-335 I
Wesiern Idaho Community
Actíon rartnership
(WICAP)
208-642-9086
EJAda Cüininuiiily
Action Agency
208-377-0700
South Ceniral Community
Action Partnership
iSCçAr)
208.734.2307
Southeastern Idaho
Coininuiiity Action Agency
(SEIC'AA)
20&-232-1114
Eastern Idaho COlnlminity
Action Partnership
(EICAP)
20&-522-5391
CCOA- Aging.
Wcaihcri7.ation.
¡ind Human Scrvicc!ò
208459.0063
Community C'(lundl iit" Idaho
(CCOI)
208454-1652
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, 17 December 2007
2GUB JAN -7 AM 8: 28
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
POBox 83720
Boise; ID 83720-0074
Stret Addrss:
472 W Washingtn 83702
IDAHO FUBLIC
UTiLITIES COMMISSIO;.
RE: Case Number: UWI-W-07-04 Date Filed: 09/1712007
Description: Unite Water-Converting from bi-monthly to monthly
biling
Dear Members of the Commission,
Community Action Parership Association of Idaho (CAP AAI) would
like to express its support for United Water-Idao's convertg from a bi~
monthly biling syste to a monthly biling system. ltis CAPAl's
position that it is in the better interest of lower-income households to
receive monthly bilings.
Idaho's lower income households have many competitors for their limited
fuds, and even in the best of cases, many ar stmggling to maintain their
housing, utilties, food and health care needs. Because of the limited
income; many are forced to budget on a paycheck to paychec basÎs~ and it
is diffcult to set aside a porton of each check for the monthly heating~
housing and other monthly bils when facing today's food and
transportation needs. To push out a regular bil even fuer to a bi-
monthly fomiat makes budgetig that much more diffcult.
The present hi-monthly system makes it more challenging for low-income
households in two ars. The first, and one that really applies to all
income levels although the impact is greater for lower income households~
is that there is only feedback on consumption ever two months. Monthly
feedback on consumption though the biling system would allow
households to potentially alter their habits to lessen consumption for the
following month. Even a ten to twenty dollar reduction in usage would be
01-06-1 08 21: 37 FROM-T-741 P002/002 F-665
very meaningful to a family whose monthly household income may be
$900; this míght mea fresh frit or a quarer tan of gas for employment.
The second area of diffculty is financial management. Most of the other
utility and other biling systems bil on a monthly basis; this consistency
provides ar opportity to look at the projected monthly income and
weigh it against projected expenses. When not havin a monthly bil, it is
easy to forget about the water bil that wil arive in four to six weeks, and
instead of setting aside $20-40 towars the water bil. someone might fill
the tank of gas, buy extra groceries; or pay ext on another debt. This, in
tum, can contribute towards a manageable water bil becoming
unanageable.
Moving to a monthly system wil address these two areas in a positive way
for all commimîty member, but wil benefit our lower income neighbors
the most, enabling beter management of very limited funds.
i than you for the opportity to comment on this mattr.
Sincerely,
...- I"~.!r,.6 .'¡.Ait . .,.. ,/,' n., íj~.?.
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Mar Chant, Executive Director
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Jean Jewell
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Sent:
To:
Subject:
Sunday, January 06, 2008 6:49 AM
Tonya Clark; Jean Jewell; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC Comment/Inquiry Form
A Comment from Pam Schmidt follows:
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Case Number:
Name: Pam SchmidtAddress: 744 S Kirby St
City: Boise
State: ID
Zip: 83705
Home Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail:Name of Utility Com~~United Water IdahoAdd to Mailing List ~
Please describe your question or comment briefly:
RE: Billing Monthly Rather Than Every Two Months.
I see no benefit of this proposal except for the water company itself. (And then they'll
have to perhaps hire more people, use more paper for invoices and envelopes, more stamps,
etc., and produce more for the mail carrier to lug around.) It won't change my water
useage, but will cost me $3 a month more on my bill ($6 over a twó month period). As to
the statement that it will make people more aware of how much water they use: I think most
of us are aware how much water we use and try to keep it to a minimum for our needs.
Those who don't care, will not change their attitude or habits just because they get
billed more frequently! The current system has worked well for a long time and I see no
need to change it.
Thank you.
The form submited on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuc1/ipuc.html
IP address is 207.69.139.139----------- -------- - - --- - -- ---- -- - --
1
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Jean Jewell
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From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
smithlink1 ~juno.com
Monday, January 07,20085:44 AM
Tonya Clark; Jean Jewell; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC Comment/Inquiry Form
A Comment from Robert Linkhart follows:
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Case Number: UWI-W-07-04
Name: Robert Linkhart
Address: 1854 Wilmington Drive
City: Boise
State: Idaho
Zip: 83704
Horne Telephone: work number [phone]
Contact E-Mail: smithlink10juno.com
Name of Utility Company: United Water IdahoAdd to Mailing List: ~
Please describe your question or comment briefly:
Dear Commissioners:
I offer for the Commissioners consideration my comments against granting United Water
Idaho's request to increase service charges by almost 4 % to convert from bi-monthly to
monthly billings.
Uni ted Water Idaho states this rate increase will provide benefits of:
easier budgeting for the consumer
enhanced water conservation by consumer getting a monthly billing
more frequent visits by United Water Idaho personnel will reduce water problems
The facts are United Water Idaho will not provide increased benefits by convert from bi-
monthly to monthly billings. The increased costs to the consumer will result in only
increásed costs; which will be more of a burden for households on a limited income. Here
are my comments on the "proposed" benefits stated by United Water Idaho:
budgeting is the same, whether for one or two months; also monthly billings requireaddi tional bill paying costs (i. e. stamps) and time by the consumer.
water conservation is not enhanced by a monthly bill; those individual who really
want to know daily, weekly, or monthly water consumption can simply read their own watermeter.
a maj ori ty of water leaks are located wi thin the interior of a building (i. e. toilet
running; leaking faucet, leaking shut-off valve, etc.), which would not be observed by
United Water Idaho personnel. This fact is supported by United Water Idaho selling "leak
guard protection" to their consumers.
The form submited on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuc1/ipuc.html
IP address is 164.165.237.20- -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
1
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Jean Jewell
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From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
kittgoogly(§msn.com
Wednesday, January 02, 2008 9:28 AM
Tanya Clark; Jean Jewell; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC Comment/Inquiry Form
A Comment from jan glandon follows:
Case Number: UWI-W-07-04
Name: jan glandon
Address: 3440 w. hansen ave
City: boise
State: ID
Zip:
Home Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail: kittygoogly~msn.com
Name of Utility Compa~ United WaterAdd to Mailing List: ~Idaho
Please describe your question or comment briefly:
Just wanted to add again I am so in favor of monthly billing at United Water Idaho!!!! I
definately think it's the right way to go.
Thank you.
The form submited on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuc1/ipuc.html
IP address is 71.221.155.17
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Jean Jewell
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From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
brian .andrew~brianandjenny.com
Wednesday, January 02, 2008 8:44 AM
Tonya Clark; Jean Jewell; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC Comment/Inquiry Form
A Comment from Brian Hartvigsen follows:
Case Number: UWI-W-07-04
Name: Brian Hartvigsen
Address: 4756 Sioux PL
City: Boise
State:' 10
Zip: 83709
Home Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail: brian 0 andrewØbrianandjenny 0 com
Name of Utility Compa~ United WaterAdd to Mailing List: ~
Please déscribe your question or comment briefly:
I think the rate increase proposed by United Water is unfair to the consumer 0 While we do
get monthly billing, United Water still gives us no way to access any account information
online and this proposal doesn't include a commitment to adding that as well. I believe
before they implement monthly billing they should start making life easier by giving us
online account access like Qwest and Idaho Power do (either through their own service or
through working with CheckFree and other online bill payment/account access companies 0)
The form submited on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuc1/ipucohtml
IP address is 6706002300130
1
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Jean Jewell
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From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Jean Jewell
Friday, January 04, 2008 3:02 PM
Jean Jewell
FW: Consumer Comment/COmplaint Form
-----Original Message-----From: trhodes~provizio. com (mail to: trhodes~provizio. com)
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 3:27 PM
To: Tonya Clark; Front; Beverly Barker
Subj ect: Consumer Comment/Complaint Form
A Comment/Inquiry from Tim Rhodes follows:
Name: Tim Rhodes
Contact E-Mail: trhodes~provizio.com
Home Telephone: [phone]
Work/Contact Telephone: [phone]
Home/Office or Both: Home
Home Address: 66 N. Saratoga Court
City: Nampa
State: ID
Zipcode: 83687
Business Name:
Business Address:
Business Phone:
Name of Utility Company: United WaterI f Telephone/Local Provider:
Have you contacted the utility regarding your concern?: yes
Please describe your question or complaint briefly:
On December 20, 2007, I received a notice from United Water regarding the company's
proposed rate increase of $1.15 per month, or $13.80 per year.
I materially do not have problems with companies, including public utilities, raising
their rates for service. However, I do have difficulty with publ~c utilities raising their
rates when the service they provide is substandard. This is the case with United Water.
Since we moved into our new home May 10th, 2006, we have been attempting to discover the
"real" status of the water condition within our subdivision, Belmont Estates. United Water
notified residents that the well the company is using to supply residential water to our
house, and those in our neighborhood, was contaminated with naturally occurring uranium.
While the company assured residents via a form letter that the water was safe to drink, I
took exception with their safety analysis as well as their own measurement of the actual
uranium within our well water.
I authored several position papers supporting the World Health Organization's (WHO)
recommendation of Uranium levels for safe drinking water as well as overall sale exposure
levels. While the US EPA promotes that the recommended level of Uranium should not exceed
20 micrograms/L of Uranium, the WHO's position is that drinking water should not exceed 2
micrograms/L of Uranium. The WHO further promotes that Uranium concentration in drinking
water should be based on a "Tolerable Daily Intake" (TDI) of 0.6 micrograms/kg of body
weight. The TDI is an estimate of the amount that can be consumed daily over a lifetime
without appreciable health risk. The WHO's recommendation is a TDI of 36 micrograms for an
average adult weighing 60 kilograms.
Based upon my own private testing of the water with an outside lab, the current amount of
Uranium in the Belmont Heights drinking system is at 26 micrograms/L and not 20
1
micrograms/L as United Water has reported. Even with the EPA's safe drinking water policy
set at 20 micrograms, the current level of 26 micrograms/L far exceeds that threshold .and
exceeds the WHO's recommendation by 12 times.
Since this time, we have subscribed to an outside drinking water service, at our own
expense, which provides us uranium-free water at $30 per .month.
In the fall of 2007, we also discovered that the company's solution to our problem was to
sell the well to the city of Nampa, rather than develop an interim and long-term solution.
While this may seem like the best solution on paper, it further prolongs the time that we
are exposed to uranium levels and presents to interim solution for residents.
My point is that I have very difficult time paying additional for a service that I cannot
use as well as for service where the company has little regard for the health of its
customers. Rather than do the right thing, United Water chose to "sell off" their problem
to the lowest bidder, creating an even longer period of time that residents have to dealwi th unsafe drinking water.
I urge the PUC to deny United Water's request for the proposed rate hike until the company
can demonstrate a record of better performance and service to the customers they serve.
Thank you for your time. I f you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I am
available via phone or in person if you desire further information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tim W. Rhodes, PhD
The form submited on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/cons/cons.html
IP address is 72.24.121.199- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
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Jean Jewell
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From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Klkehne~cableone.net
Wednesday, January 02,20085:12 AM
Tanya Clark; Jean Jewell; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC CommenUlnquiry Form
A Comment from Kate Kehne follows:
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Case Number: UWI-W-07-04
Name: Kate Kehne
Address: 3405 Mountain View Dr.
City: BOISE
State: 10
Zip: 83704
Home Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail: Klkehne0cableone.net
Name of Utility Compa~ United Water
Add to Mailing List: ~
Please describe your question or comment briefly:
I am opposed to United Water's application for monthly meter reading and billing.
Regarding their reasons for the change: I have no difficulty paying the water bills
bimonthly, in fact it's nice to. have a bill that only arrives every 2 months, and I have
no trouble figuring out that the more water I use during the summer, the higher the bills
will be. Perhaps more frequent visits by personnel would be helpful, but as far as I
know, water company personnel respond quickly to problems anyway. I believe that 8
additional employees, increased vehicle/fuel use, purchase of additional equipment,
increased billing, postage, and payment processing costs, including collections, would be
a wasteful use of time, money and valuable resources (particularly fuel and paper), and
not a conservation measure.
The form submited on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuc1/ipuc.html
IP address is 24.116.147.110
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