HomeMy WebLinkAboutwater.pdf2002
ANNUAL REPORTPage 1 IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IPUC
Regulates
About 1% Of
Idaho’s Water
Systems
Idaho Water Utilities
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission regulates 25 privately operated
water companies varying from United Water Idaho with more than 70,000
customers to utilities serving a few homes in residential subdivisions or mobile
home parks. Regulated companies comprise less than 1 percent of approxi-
mately 2,600 systems that supply drinking water to Idahoans. Most of the
unregulated systems belong to and are run without profit by homeowners
associations. Many others are municipal systems operated by local govern-
ments.
The rates listed are strictly representative of residential customers and may not reflect
actual rates paid by a specific customer.
Date
Name No. of Hook-up Mo. Residential Rates1 Rates Last
of Utility Customers Fee (unless otherwise noted) Revised
Bar Circle “S” 118 250 $15/0-7,500 gals.02/01/90
Water Inc.$0.95/1,000 gals. over 7,500 gals.
Bitterroot Water Co. 97 $750 $20/0-15,000 gals.08/12/99
$0.75/1,000 gals. over 15,000 gals.
Brian Water Co. 47 $10.50/0-4,000 gals. 05/01/99
$1.08/1,000 gals. over 4,000 gals.
Capitol Water Corp.2,757 $7.50/0-1,000 cf. 08/01/97
$1.06/100 cf. over 1,000 cf.
Country Club 120 $300 $14.00/0-30,000 gals.02/23/90
Hills Utilities $0.35/1,000 gals. over 30,000 gals.
Eagle Water 2,272 $845 $7.84/0-600 cf.03/25/87
Co., Inc.$0.451/100 cf. over 600 cf.
Humpy’s 16 $60 $3.25/0-6,000 gals.05/01/63
$0.10/1,000 gals. over 6,000 gals.
Evergreen Water Co. 34 $600 $15/0-7,500 gals.11/10/87
$0.35/1,000 gals. over 7,500 gals.
Date
Falls Water 2,106 $500 $10/0-20,000 gals.09/01/97
Co., Inc. $0.30/1,000 gals. over 20,000 gals.
Algoma Water 27 $17.59/mo. 09/01/96
Grouse Point Water Co. 22 $25.00/mo. 09/01/99
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Page 22002
ANNUAL REPORT
Name No. of Hook-up Mo. Residential Rates1 Rates Last
of Utility Customers Fee (unless otherwise noted) Revised
Happy Valley 26 $500 $27.00/0-20,000 gals.12/15/99
Water System $0.70/1,000 over 20,000 gals.
Island Park Water Co. 259 $125/yr. 07/01/92
Morning View 59 $22/mo. 06/21/90
Water Co., Inc.
Murray Water Works 33 $125 $26/mo. 11/01/94
+ labor
Packsaddle Estates 34 $430 $34.24/mo. 06/03/96
Water Co.
Picabo Livestock Co. 28 $500 Summer: $26/mo. 04/27/94
Winter: $14/mo.
Rickel Water Co. 16 $6,000 $30/0-15,000 gals.04/25/97
$1.10/1,000 gals. over 15,000 gals.
Spirit Lake East Water Co.237 $650 $12/0-9,000 gals.12/01/83
$1/1,000 gals. over 9,000 gals.
Stoneridge Water Co. 34 $925 $0.30/1000 gals.
For all consumption 12/01/99
Sunbeam Water Co. 22 $12/0-12,000 gals.05/31/83
$1.20/1,000 gals. over 12,000 gals.
Troy Hoffman 144 $458 $5.50/0-3,000 gals.08/01/96
Water Co.$0.60/1,000 gals. over 3,000 gals.
United Water Idaho 70,562 Costs Summer: $14.57/bimonthly 09/05/98
in excess $1.6418/1,000 gals.
of $500 Winter: $14.57/bimonthly
$1.3134/1,000 gals.
2002
ANNUAL REPORTPage 3 IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
Water Utility Cases
Nov. 19, 2001
Bar Circle “S” Ranch Water Co./Garwood Business Center
Water System
Case No. BCS-W-01-1, Order No. 28895
The commission approved the purchase of the Garwood Business
Center Water System in Kootenai County by Bar Circle “S” Water, Inc. for
$50,000.
Bar Circle, operating near Hayden Lake, provides metered water
service to 117 residential customers and one commercial customer. The com-
mission also approved extending Bar Circle’s certificated area to serve to two
areas previously undeveloped. The company did not seek a change in rates.
Dec. 6, 2001
Falls Water Company
Case No. FLS-W-01-1
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission authorized an annual increase in
revenue of 9.94 percent for Falls Water Company of Idaho Falls. That allows
the company to collect an additional $31,198 from its approximately 2,000
business and residential customers east of Idaho Falls and north of Ammon.
Falls Water originally requested authority to collect $91,180 from
customers or a 38 percent revenue increase. The new rates went into effect
Dec. 1.
For metered residential customers the minimum charge remains $10 for
the first 20,000 gallons. The charge for every gallon beyond that increases from
30 cents per gallon to 33 cents. The company proposed $12.65 for the first
10,000 gallons and 37 cents per gallon beyond that. The same rate applies to
commercial customers on meters.
For flat-rate residential customers and for those in multi-family units, the
new charge is $13.73 per month. The existing rate is $10 per month and the
company proposed $13.90.
The flat rate for commercial customers of $10 per month on the first
20,000 gallons and 30 cents for every gallon beyond that was eliminated.
The commission’s order allows the company to earn a 12 percent return
on equity. A 10 percent return is typically considered adequate to build a
reserve, but the commission allowed the 12 percent return given the company’s
expansion needs and the fact that its reserve is depleted. Falls Water is a not-
for-profit corporation and is not authorized to make any distributions of return
on investment to owners, but can use retained earnings for expansion and
improvements.
The commission also ordered the company to charge its customers in
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Page 42002
ANNUAL REPORT
the Grayson Subdivision the same fixed price it charges all its other customers.
Falls Water purchased the Sargent Water System, which serves Grayson
Subdivision, in 1997. It also directed the company to discontinue serving those
in Black Hawk Estates, a separate noncontiguous water system, at the same
rate it is billing other metered customers of Falls Water. Because Black Hawk
Estates has fewer customers it is more costly to serve them. There are not
sufficient revenues to support the expenses associated with Black Hawk Es-
tates, the commission said.
The commission directed Falls Water to remove revenues and expenses
associated with Black Hawk from the Falls Water system. If service is to
continue, the commission ordered the company to enter into a cost-based
agreement with Black Hawk Estates.
May 23, 2002
Capitol Water Corporation
Case No. CAP-W-02-1, Order No. 29035
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved a $3.10 per month
surcharge for the nearly 3,000 southwest Boise residential customers of Capitol
Water Corp. Metered commercial customers will get a 23.6 percent increase.
The company proposed a surcharge of $3.56 per month for residential
customers and a 21.1 percent increase for metered commercial customers.
For the majority of customers who use a ¾”-inch service line, the added service
charge will increase monthly bills by about 35 percent during the summer months
and 15 percent in the winter months.
The surcharge, which will expire in seven years, is needed to pay for
$500,000 in improvements to the system including one well replacement and an
upgrade of the company’s distribution system.
The new surcharge is on top of a surcharge approved in 1997 that
expires on Aug. 1, 2004. That surcharge, also for seven years, is $3.27 per
month for unmetered residential customers and a 25.2 percent increase for
metered commercial customers.
The water system serves customers bounded roughly by Northview
Street north to Ustick Road and from North Maple Grove east to Curtis Road.
The company’s Well No. 2 failed due to a casing collapse and Well No.
5 was abandoned in 2000 due to contamination problems. Well No. 5 must be
replaced as soon as possible, the company said, to provide adequate water
supply for fire protection and peak hour demands. According to the company,
the cost to replace that well is estimated to be about $346,000 in addition to
$45,350 already spent on costs associated with abandoning the well.
The company also plans to spend about $90,000 for a distribution upgrade in
addition to $13,900 it has already spent.
The commission ordered the company to submit written quarterly status
reports detailing construction progress, money spent and testing results.
2002
ANNUAL REPORTPage 5 IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
August 29, 2002
Morning View Water Co.
Case No. MNV-W-02-1
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved rate increases for the
approximate 56 rural Rigby customers of Morning View Water Co.
The former rate, not changed since 1990, was a $22 flat fee plus a
public drinking water fee of $6.67. The new rate, effective on Sept. 1, 2002, is
based on lot size. The rate is $22 per month for a quarter-acre lot, $28.85 per
month for a half-acre, and $35.70 for an acre. The commission also approved
an additional $5 per month customer surcharge to fund a contingency reserve
account.
The owner of the company, Nolan Gneiting, originally requested to
increase rates to $52 per month, a 136 percent increase. After a public hearing
was conducted in Rigby, the commission determined the new rates.
The reserve account will ensure more reliable service by providing a
fund for unanticipated major repairs. It may also be used to retire an outstanding
amount owed for well repair.
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Page 62002
ANNUAL REPORT
Regulating Idaho’s
Railroads
More than 900 miles of railroad track in Idaho have been abandoned
since 1976. Rail line abandonments are governed by federal law, with the
federal Surface Transportation Board deciding the final outcome of abandon-
ment applications. Under Idaho law, however, after a railroad files its federal
notice of intent to abandon, the IPUC must determine whether the proposed
abandonment would adversely affect the public interest. The commission then
reports its findings to the STB.
In reaching a conclusion, the commission considers whether abandon-
ment would adversely affect the service area, impair market access or access of
Idaho communities to vital goods and services, and whether the line has a
potential for profitability.
The commission also conducts inspections of Idaho’s railroads to
determine compliance with state and federal laws, rules and regulations con-
cerning the transportation of hazardous materials, locomotive cab safety and
sanitation rules, and railroad - highway grade crossings.
Hazardous material inspections are conducted in rail yards and at
shipping facilities. In 1994, Idaho was invited to participate in the Federal
Railroad Administration’s State Participation Program. IPUC has a State
Program Manager and one FRA certified hazardous material inspector.
Since 1997, the IPUC has been working with railroads, labor unions,
and the FRA to improve locomotive cab working conditions. This includes
random inspections to determine overall cab cleanliness, sanitation facilities, first
aid requirements and the availability of fresh cold drinking water.
The IPUC inspects railroad-highway grade crossings where incidents
occur, investigates citizen complaints of unsafe or rough crossings and conducts
surveys of railroad crossings.
Railroad Activity Summary
Fiscal Year 2001
Tank Cars Inspected 469
Freight Cars Inspected 149
Trains Inspected 67
Defects Disclosed 104
Violation Reports to FRA 21
Crossing Accidents Investigated 16
Crossing Complaints 33
Crossings Surveyed 199
Locomotives Inspected 42
Locomotives with Deficiencies 33
2002
ANNUAL REPORTPage 7 IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
Operation Lifesaver
Idaho Operation Lifesaver is a
non profit state organization that is dedi-
cated to increasing public awareness of
the potential dangers that exist at high-
way-rail grade crossings and around trains
in general.
Volunteers from various sponsoring groups and other interested indi-
viduals staff the organization. Because of the IPUC’s railroad safety oversight, it
has taken a leading role in sponsoring and supporting Idaho Operation Life-
saver. IPUC staff member Chris Adams is the area coordinator. Volunteer staff
members talk to approximately 130,000 people each year at presentations and
safety booths.
It is the intent of the program to achieve its goal by using:
(1) Education – Educate the public about trains by providing safety presen-
tations and by operating informational booths.
(2) Engineering – Work with government entities, businesses and railroads
to improve highway/rail intersections.
(3) Enforcement – Work with law enforcement agencies and railroads to
enforce traffic laws pertaining to highway/rail intersections.
Railroads In Idaho
Palouse River Railroad
709 N. 10th Street
Walla Walla, Washington 99362
509/522-1464
Idaho Track Miles: 2
Burlington Northern Railroad
176 East 5th Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
208/263-2016
Idaho Track Miles: 194
Camas Prairie Railnet
325 Mill Road
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
208/798-8393
Idaho Track Miles: 174
Eastern Idaho Railroad
618 Shoshone Street West
Twin Falls, Idaho 83301
208/733-4686
Idaho Track Miles: 267
Idaho Northern & Pacific
P.O.Box 715
Emmett, Idaho 83617
208/365-6353
Idaho Track Miles: 102
Montana Rail Link
P.O.Box 8779
Missoula, Montana 59807
406/523-1500
Idaho Track Miles: 34
St. Maries River Railroad
318 North 10th Street
St. Maries, Idaho 83861
208/245-4531
Idaho Track Miles: 71
Union Pacific Railroad
1416 Dodge Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68179
208/343-1771
Idaho Track Miles: 1,096
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Page 82002
ANNUAL REPORT
Railroad Cases
June 10, 2002
PUC GRANTS RAIL COMPANY’S MOTION TO REDUCE
REGULATORY FEE
Case No. SMR-R-02-1, Order No. 20045
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved a motion by St.
Maries River Railroad Company objecting to amount of the annual regulatory
fee the company must pay the commission. The commission ordered that a
portion of the fee be returned to the company.
The commission’s operating funds are derived by assessing regulatory
fees on utilities and railroads under the commission’s jurisdiction. By April 1 of
each year, the state’s eight railroad corporations must report their gross operat-
ing revenue from their intrastate railroad business in Idaho. When all railroads
have reported their revenues, the total is divided by the amount the Legislature
has authorized the commission to spend regulating railroads. For example, for
the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2003, the amount attributed to regulating
railroads is $137,000.
After making one of its semi-annual installments of $5,424.32, St.
Maries asserted that it over-reported its gross operating revenue, inadvertently
including its interstate revenue as well as its intrastate revenue. The result was
St. Maries over-reporting $847,767 of revenue. PUC staff conducted an audit
and agreed with the railroad that its operating revenues had been over-re-
ported. The commission ordered a refund of $1,290.33 to the railroad.
The commission also ruled that the other railroads not be reassessed to
make up for the budget shortfall created as a result of the revised St. Maries
regulatory fee. Instead, the commission decided to forego approximately
$6,715 in assessments, resulting in a 5 percent reduction to the commission’s
FY 2003 railroad budget.