20090917notice_of_application_order_no_30901.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
September 17 2009
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 IN THE STATE OF )IDAHO.
CASE NO. UWI-09-
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF
INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 30901
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on September 3, 2009, United Water Idaho
Inc. filed a general rate case Application for authority to increase rates by 15.21 %, to be applied
equally to all classes of customers.l If approved, the Company s revenues would increase by
$5.6 million annually. The Company requests that its proposed changes become effective
October 3 , 2009.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that United Water currently provides water
service to approximately 83 900 customers within Ada County, Idaho, and has been providing
service to the public in Boise City and the surrounding area for more than 100 years.
Application at 2. The Company last increased its basic rates and charges in August 2006. Order
No. 30104. United Water claims that it has made numerous major capital investments since the
last rate case in order to continue to provide quality service to its customers. The Company
asserts that it has invested $2 million in treatment facilities, more than $12 million in replacing
aging infrastructure, almost $1.4 million in booster station improvements, and over $700 000 in
auxiliary power generators at various sites throughout the water system. Wyatt Direct at 4.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company proposes a revenue increase of
$5.6 million, which amounts to an overall increase in rates of 15.21 %.2 United Water maintains
that it seeks additional revenue to recover increased operating expenses and costs associated with
1 On July 2, 2009, the Company filed a Motion for Order Waiving Requirement for Cost of Service Studymaintaining that there was no compelling need for a study to be included with its current rate case Application. The
Commission granted the Company s request by Order No. 30865.
2 The Company is not proposing a change to the current tariff design and intends to maintain the 25% differential
between winter and summer volumetric rates. Wyatt Direct at 5.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINEORDER NO. 30901
plant additions and to produce a fair rate of return, thereby enabling it to continue to provide
adequate and reliable service to its customers. Application at 3. The Company s Application
states that the proposed changes in rates and charges would produce a rate of return of 8.49%.
Id.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company requests that its proposed new
rates become effective October 3 , 2009.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application together with supporting
workpapers, testimonies and exhibits, have been filed with the Commission and are available for
public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission offices. The Application and
testimonies and exhibits are also available on the Commission s web site at www.puc.idaho.gov
by clicking on "File Room" and then "Water Cases.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that United Water intrastate revenue
requirement, and every component of it, both rate base and expense, are at issue. The
Commission may grant, deny, or modify the revenue requirement requested and may find a
revenue requirement different from that proposed by any party is just, fair and reasonable.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the rates and charges for all United Water
retail customers, both recurring and non-recurring, including those of any special contract
customers, are at issue, and every component of every existing and proposed rate and charge is at
issue. The Commission may approve, reject or modify the rates and charges proposed and may
find that rates and charges different from those proposed by any party are just, fair and
reasonable.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may approve, reject or
modify existing or proposed relationships between and among rates and charges within, between
or among customer classes or rate groupings. The Commission may approve, rej ect or modify
existing or proposed relationships among and between customer classes or rate groupings.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may abolish, reduce or
create rate blocks or categories of rates and charges; abolish, create or reduce components of
rates and charges; abolish, reduce or create customer classes or rate groupings; and abolish
reduce or create absolute or relative differences among and between existing customer classes or
rate groupings of customers.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINEORDER NO. 30901 2 "
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the tariffs, practices, rules, servIces
instrumentalities, equipment, facilities, classifications and customer relations procedures of
United Water are at issue, and the Commission may address any of them in its final Order.
DEADLINE FOR INTERVENTION
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter
for the purpose of presenting evidence or cross-examining witnesses at hearing must file a
Petition to Intervene with the Commission pursuant to the Commission s Rules of Procedure 72
and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072 and .073. Persons intending to participate at hearing must file a
Petition to Intervene no later than twenty-one (21) days from the service date of this Order.
Persons seeking intervenor status shall also provide the Commission Secretary with their
electronic mail address to facilitate further communications in this matter.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to present their views
without parties' rights of participation and cross-examination are not required to intervene and
may present their comments without prior notification to the Commission or to other parties.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that once the deadline for intervention has
passed, the Commission Secretary shall issue a Notice of Parties. The Notice of Parties shall
assign exhibit numbers to each party in this proceeding.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that after the Notice of Parties is issued, the
Commission anticipates that the parties will informally convene to devise a recommended
schedule to process this case. In addition to the schedule, the parties may discuss discovery
logistics, electronic service, and other scheduling matters.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has jurisdiction over this
matter pursuant to Title 61 of the Idaho Code and specifically Idaho Code ~~ 61-124, 61-125
61-307 61-502 61-503 , and 61-507. The Commission may enter any final Order consistent with
its authority under Title 61.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this matter will be
conducted pursuant to the Commission s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000 et seq.
SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE
Due to the limited time between when the Company filed its Application and when it
requests that its rates and charges become effective, the Commission finds that it cannot
complete the processing of United Water s Application before the proposed effective date of
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINEORDER NO. 30901
October 3, 2009. Pursuant to Idaho Code ~~ 61-622 and 61-623 , the Commission hereby
suspends the proposed rate changes for a period of thirty (30) days plus five (5) months from
October 3, 2009, or until such time as the Commission enters an Order accepting, rejecting or
modifying the request in this matter.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that persons desiring to intervene in this case for the
purpose of presenting evidence or cross-examination at hearing shall file a Petition to Intervene
with the Commission no later than twenty-one (21) days from the service date of this Order.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that United Water s proposed new rates and other tariff
changes are suspended for a period of thirty (30) days plus five (5) months from October 3
2009, or until such time as the Commission enters an Order accepting, rejecting or modifying the
request in this matter.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that after the Notice of Parties is issued, the Staff shall
informally convene a prehearing conference with the parties to discuss the processing of this
case.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 30901
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this /7
t-i'
day of September 2009.
d f:JI . KEMPTON, P 'trD ENT
Ol~,U~~
MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:
~1J.Je D. Jewell
Co mission Secretary
O:UWI-09-ks2
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINEORDER NO. 30901