Section IV Water.pdf

Regulated water companies
Company Customers Nearest city/town
CDS Stoneridge Utilities, LLC 358 Blanchard
Diamond Bar Estates Water Company 46 Rathdrum
Eagle Water Company, Inc. 4,200 Eagle
Falls Water Company, Inc. 5,500 Ammon
Grouse Point Water 24 Kuna
Happy Valley Water System 27 Athol
Island Park Water Company 362 Island Park
Kootenai Heights Water System, Inc. 11 Kootenai
Mayfield Springs Water Company 76 Kuna
Morning View Water Company, Inc. 108 Rigby
Picabo Livestock Company 28 Picabo
Ponderosa Terrace Estates Water System, Inc. 22 Sandpoint
Resort Water Company 422 Sandpoint
Bitterroot Water System, Inc. 158 Coeur d'Alene
Rocky Mountain Utility Company, Inc. 101 Rigby
Schweitzer Basin Water LLC 439 Sandpoint
Spirit Lake East Water Company 301 Coeur d'Alene
Suez Water Idaho Inc. 96,000 Boise
Sunbeam Water Company 22 American Falls
Teton Water and Sewer Company, LLC 285 Driggs
Troy Hoffman Water Corporation 147 Coeur d'Alene
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
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WATER
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
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WATER CASES
Falls Water acquired by NW Natural Water Company
In July, the Commission approved the sale of Falls Water Company in eastern Idaho to NW Natural Water Company,
LLC.
Falls Water serves approximately 5,500 customers in Bonneville County. NW Natural Water is a subsidiary of
Oregon-based Northwest Natural Gas Company, which provides natural gas service to more than 730,000 customers
in western Oregon and Washington.
The Commission has maintained its regulatory authority of the new company after the transaction, which did not affect
customer rates or Falls Water’s corporate structure, employees, customer base or service area.
In its order approving the sale, the Commission said it found the transaction to be consistent with the public interest
because NW Natural has demonstrated that it can operate the water system and had taken steps to maintain and
improve operations.
Suez requests Commission approval to absorb Eagle Water Company
In late 2018, Suez Water and Eagle Water requested Commission
approval of the sale of Eagle Water Company to Suez.
The two sides have entered into an agreement that calls for a purchase
price of $10 million.
The proposal, which requires Commission approval, also calls for rates
for Eagle Water’s 4,200 customers to be adjusted over a three-year
period, “to bring them into rate parity with Suez’s existing customers.”
No procedural timeline has been established in the case, but more than
100 public comments have been submitted since the application was
filed on Nov. 15. All of the comments are in opposition to the proposal.
Commission initiates investigation into small water company
In late 2017, the Commission authorized an investigation into the regulatory status of VP, Inc., a private water and
sewer company in northern Idaho. VP serves the Idaho Club, a residential development and golf course near
Sandpoint.
The company has been viewed as part of the development’s neighborhood association, making it exempt from
regulation by the Commission.
The investigation is intended to determine whether VP is subject to regulation because of changes in its operations
related to the 2016 sale of a portion of the development to Valiant Idaho, LLC. Valiant complained to the
Commission that VP was charging it excessive rates for water service, and was operating as a for-profit company
independent of the neighborhood association.
Commission approves consolidation of two small water companies
In April, the Commission approved the merger of Rickel Water Company and Bitterroot Water System into a single
public entity called Bitterroot Water System Inc.
Rickel Water Company and Bitterroot Water System Inc. served approximately 38 and 116 customers, respectively.
They also operated under the same rate structure, were interconnected and shared common ownership.