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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.