Customer Service

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PROPOSED WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS and SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT RATE

On March 1, 2021, Great Basin Water Co. (“GBWC” or “the Company”) filed an application (the “Application”) with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (the “Commission”) requesting approval of its 2021 Integrated Resource Plan (“2021 IRP”). In the Application, GBWC is seeking approval of the Action Plan projects described in the 2021 IRP, designation of certain system improvement projects as eligible projects for which a system improvement rate (“SIR”) may be established, and other related matters.

In the Application, GBWC is requesting approval to designate the following projects as being eligible for an SIR:

Action Plan Projects from Volume II – GBWC-Pahrump Division:
1. Calvada Valley Well-10 to Municipal Compliance
2. SCADA Upgrades for Water Systems
3. Mountain Falls Tank-1 Floor Replacement
4. Annual Pipeline Improvement Budget Project
5. Plant 3 Sand Filter Replacement

Action Plan Projects from Volume III – GBWC-Spring Creek Division:
1. High Tank Replacement
2. Mar-Wood WWTP Replacement
3. 400 Tract Pressure Analysis and Optimization
4. 2022 Pipeline Replacement Project
5. 2023 Pipeline Replacement Project
6. 2024 Pipeline Replacement Project

Action Plan Projects from Volume IV – GBWC-Cold Springs Division:
1. Cold Springs Drive Booster Station
2. Storage Tank 2 Replacement

Action Plan Projects from Volume V – GBWC-Spanish Springs Division:
1. Test Well and New Production Well

The SIR request is based on NRS 704.663, and the implementing regulation adopted by the Commission in NAC 704.633 through NAC 704.63435.

The SIR request is necessary because GBWC will be funding and implementing the above-referenced projects during a period between rate cases and SIR will allow GBWC to implement these necessary projects without consideration for recovery timing. If approved, the SIR would only be in effect for the period of time starting when the plant asset goes into service and the Commission approves the Company’s SIR application for that asset and until the Company’s next filed rate change as approved by the Commission. At that time, these SIRs would cease being charged and the remaining un-depreciated plant would be included in general rates.

Should the Commission approve all requested SIR projects for the Pahrump division, the resulting impact to Pahrump division rates is estimated to be as follows:

SIR – Pahrump
Approval of all projects for which the Company is requesting SIR related to water would result in an estimated total revenue impact of $469,501 for the Pahrump Division. Broken out by customer class, this would yield a total estimated SIR water impact as follows:
For the SF Residential customer class, a monthly charge of $4.45.
For the MF Residential customer class, a monthly charge of $3.49.
For the Commercial 4” and Under customer class, a monthly charge of $28.20.
For the Commercial Over 4” customer class, a monthly charge of $392.67.
For the Commercial 10” customer class, a monthly charge of $1,681.21.
For the Public Authority customer class, a monthly charge of $37.57.
For the Transmission Irrigation customer class, a monthly charge of $58.95
For the Irrigation 4” and Under customer class, a monthly charge of $18.48.

Approval of all projects for which the Company is requesting SIR related to wastewater would result in an estimated total revenue impact of $187,553 for the Pahrump Division. Broken out by customer class, this would yield a total estimated SIR wastewater impact as follows:
For the 5/8”, 3/4”, 1” customer class, a monthly charge of $2.69.
For the 1.5” customer class, a monthly charge of $14.91.
For the 2” customer class, a monthly charge of $21.53.
For the 3” customer class, a monthly charge of $56.51.
For the 4” customer class, a monthly charge of $80.80.
For the 6” customer class, a monthly charge of $101.70.
For the 8” customer class, a monthly charge of $147.79.
For the 10” customer class, a monthly charge of $1,140.65.

SIR-Spring Creek
Approval of all projects for which the Company is requesting SIR related to water would result in an estimated total revenue impact of $433,250 for the Spring Creek Division. Broken out by customer class, this would yield a total estimated SIR water impact as follows:
For the 3/4” customer class, a monthly charge of $6.66.
For the 1” customer class, a monthly charge of $6.36.
For the 1.5” customer class, a monthly charge of $14.39.
For the 2” customer class, a monthly charge of $44.36.
For the 3” customer class, a monthly charge of 27.24
For the 4” customer class, a monthly charge of $162.26
For the 6” customer class, a monthly charge of $647.78

Approval of all projects for which the Company is requesting SIR related to wastewater would result in an estimated total revenue impact of $255,294 for the Spring Creek Division.
Broken out by customer class, this would yield a total estimated SIR wastewater impact as follows:
For the residential customer class, a monthly charge of $71.38.
For the commercial customer class, a monthly charge of $238.88.

SIR – Cold Springs
Approval of all projects for which the Company is requesting SIR would result in an estimated total revenue impact of $121,548 for the Cold Springs Division. Broken out by customer class, this would yield a total estimated SIR water impact as follows:
For the 3/4” customer class, a monthly charge of $2.35.
For the 1” customer class, a monthly charge of $2.08.
For the 1.5” customer class, a monthly charge of $8.18.
For the 2” customer class, a monthly charge of $14.13.
For the 3” customer class, a monthly charge of $26.81.
For the 4” customer class, a monthly charge of $212.19.

SIR-Spanish Springs
Approval of all projects for which the Company is requesting SIR would result in an estimated total revenue impact of $156,826 for the Spanish Springs Division. Broken out by customer class, this would yield a total estimated SIR water impact as follows:
For the 5/8” customer class, a monthly charge of $24.80.
For the 3/4” customer class, a monthly charge of $19.99.
For the 1” customer class, a monthly charge of $21.66.
For the 1.5” customer class, a monthly charge of $9.85.
For the 2” customer class, a monthly charge of $10.99.


The Application has been assigned docket number 21-03003, and it is available for public viewing on the Commission’s website at: https://puc.nv.gov, and at the offices of the Commission located at: 1150 East William Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701 and 9075 West Diablo Drive, Suite 250, Las Vegas, Nevada 89148.

The Application is also available for viewing at GWBC’s division offices in Reno, Pahrump and Spring Creek:

Cold Springs Office 1005 Terminal Way Ste. 294 Reno, NV 89502

Pahrump Office 1240 E. State St., #115 Pahrump, NV 89048

Spanish Springs Office 1005 Terminal Way Ste. 294 Reno, NV 89502

Spring Creek Office 14891 Lamoille Hwy. Spring Creek, NV 89815

Attention customers, please review the following document below:

Docket No. 20-07032

Show Cause Proceeding to determine whether Great Basin Water Co. Pahrump Division should be assessed an administrative fine regarding its conduct in implementing the Deferred Water Service Adjustment authorized in Docket No. 16-12037.

Attention Pahrump customers, please review the following documents:
Docket No. 19-12029 (section 1)  
Docket No. 19-12029 (section 2 )  
Docket No. 19-12029 (section 3) 

Application of Great Basin Water Co. for authority to adjust its annual revenue requirement for water and wastewater service rates charged to all classes of customers in the Pahrump Division and for other relief properly related thereto.

Attention Cold Springs Customers:

Please read the document below:
20-07015 Notice of Consumer Session and Notice of Hearing

On July 15, 2020, Great Basin Water Co. ("GBWC") filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada ("Commission") an application, designated as  Docket No. 20-07015 ("Application"), for authority to adjust its annual revenue requirement for water service charged to all classes of customers in the Cold Springs Division (:GBWC-CSD") and for other relief properly related thereto.

Attention Pahrump Customers:

Please click here to read the Advice Letter No. 4, to revise Water Tariff No. 1-W

Implementing the deferred water service adjustment rate mechanism relating to the Order issued in Docket No. 16-12037.

Attention Customers:
Please click here to read the Advice Letter No. 6, Spanish Springs Division document.

Attention Customers:
Please click here to read the Application for Authority to Add or Change A Schedule, Cold Springs Division document.

Attention Customers:
Recently, GBWC has filed proposed tariff changes with the Commission which would put in place a temporary Deferred Water Service Adjustment ("DWSA") in the form of either a charge or credit to customers, pursuant to the PUCN's prior approval of this decoupling methodology and GBWC's calculations. The amount of the proposed charge or credit for each customer class is included in the rest of this notice. 

What is decoupling?
The DWSA is either a charge or credit to customers that the PUCN authorized GBWC to collect to help offset fluctuations in water usage that, in turn, causes fluctuations in the actual cost of providing the water service to our customers. This adjustment enables us to ensure that we are adequately covering the costs of the water service we provide you at a time when the need for water conservation is paramount and encouraged. At the same time, it guarantees you are not being charged more for that service than has been reviewed and authorized by the PUCN in the utility's last rate case. 

The DWSA charges and credits which GBWC has proposed in its recent PUCN filing is a form of decoupling. Decoupling is a ratemaking mechanism that breaks the historic link between water usage and utility revenues, allowing water utilities to support increased efficiency and encourage water conservation. Decoupling helps to ensure that the revenues received by GBWC will be sufficient to cover (but not exceed) the costs of providing a safe and reliable supply of drinking water to your taps in a cost-efficient manner.

Please click here to download the full GBWC decoupling filing.

Click here to view the post from the Commission website. 

Why is GBWC filing a rate case in Pahrump?       

As a public utility, Great Basin Water Co. (GBWC) has an obligation to continue to deliver safe and reliable water and wastewater services at the lowest reasonable cost.  The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) is charged with determining if the utility has acted to balance between these goals.  Additionally, we are required by the PUCN to present a rate case every three years.

Your existing rates are based on operating costs and capital expenditures approved in the 2016 rate case. In this current case, GBWC has requested a change in rates of 7.90% increase in water rates and 3.52% in sewer rates. These changes are to recover funds used on the enhancements GBWC already has made to the water and sewer systems in Pahrump over the past three years.  If accepted by PUCN, the rates will go into effect sometime in the middle of 2020.

While we understand there is never a good time to increase rates, these rates are based on the actual and complete costs of providing safe and reliable water and wastewater services and will be thoroughly examined by the PUCN and its staff (as well as the Bureau of Consumer Protection) prior to impacting you.  Together we share the goal of a safe, dependable supply of safe drinking water at the lowest possible price consistent with prudent business practices.  Importantly, safe and reliable drinking water delivered to your faucet would still cost less than a penny per gallon under the proposed new rates.

Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)

In addition, GBWC is required to file an IRP every three years in between rate cases to obtain PUCN approvals for expenditures to improve the infrastructure necessary to provide service.  An IRP is a utility’s long-term (20 year) capital improvement plan which includes an immediate 3-year plan to meet demand in an efficient, reliable and sustainable manner at the lowest reasonable cost to customers (as required by the State of Nevada). GBWC will be filing an IRP in 2021, which also will impact future rates.  During this process, GBWC encourages customer input on what projects they deem of greatest importance to their level of service.

Infrastructure

Like many water systems, the Pahrump water and wastewater system has piping, wells, and other assets that are over 40 years old.  Replacing aging infrastructure is necessary to provide safe reliable service to you. Much of the system which is being upgraded and/or replaced was built in the 1970’s.  Over the past three years, we have continued to make investments that affect the quality and reliability of your water and wastewater services including the significant expenditures.  The more expensive infrastructure improvements include:

• Cathodic Protection - Corrosive protection used in tanks
• Mountain Falls Well 1 – Rehabilitation program
• Mountain Falls Well 2 Generator Project – Replaced a failed generator
• Well 9 – Rehabilitation program
• Well 11 - Rehabilitation program
• Well 12 – Repair project
• Homestead/Highway 160 – Repair of failed transmission line
• Installation of Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBs) – For groundwater basin recharge

In total, we are seeking recovery of more than $4 million in investments to our infrastructure, which we have already put into service to benefit your level of service.

Customer Service

Customer Service is a top priority at GBWC. Our aim is to ensure that customer concerns are heard, promptly investigated, and addressed. We are introducing two new technologies that will help improve our service to you and reduce annual expenses; reducing rate impacts on your bill. 

AMI Meters: We are updating our older meters to higher-efficiency AMI (Automated Meter Reading) meters. By replacing older meters with AMR (Automated Meter Reading) meters, Automated Meter Reading (AMR) meters  The replacement of older meters will allow GBWC to more accurately track and follow a customer’s usage so any discrepancy in billing a customer’s usage can be monitored and back tracked up to six months and reduce operation’s expenses. 

Another way we are enhancing customer service is through My Utility Connect (MUC).  MUC is GBWC’s online portal application to communicate directly with customers. After registering your account on MUC, you can pay your bill, sign up for alerts, monitor your usage and more.  To register for MUC, go to: https://connect.myutility.us/connect/

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What increases will I see in my bill?

   Answer: If approved, estimated changes for average monthly bills for residential/multi-residential would be the following:

   • Water: Increasing from $39.45 to $42.37 per month, or an increase of $2.92 per month
   • Sewer: Increasing from $46.24 to $47.92 per month, or an increase of $1.68 per month
2. Why are the rates going up?

   Answer: The PUCN closely regulates when and how much a utility company can adjust their rates. The PUCN requires that rates be vetted by them every three years. GBWC has requested an increase during this year’s review in order to recoup the cost of capital improvement projects which, for in large part, have already been considered as necessary by the PUCN in an IRP proceeding in order to provide customers with safe and reliable utility service.

3. Will rates increase again?
   Answer: Per the PUCN, rates are subject to adjustment every three years there is a possibility of rates going down or up.  This is based upon many factors.  For more information on how rates are set, visit our website at www.GreatBasinWaterCo.com or email BeWaterSmart@GreatBasinWaterCo.com.

Great Basin Water Co. values you as a customer.  Should you have any questions or concerns about this rate case filing, please do not hesitate to contact us at (844) 694-4404. Also, we encourage you to register for My Utility Connect (GBWC’s online portal to communicate directly with customers), please visit: https://connect.myutility.us/connect/

Click here to save and download this notice.

Great Basin Water Co. (GBWC) is requesting that the Public Utility Commission of Nevada (PUCN) grant a rate increase that would become effective following consumer sessions, public hearings and scrutiny by the Commission.

While we acknowledge that there is never a good time to increase the rates we charge, it has been nearly 3 years since our last adjustment to the rates for your homes and businesses. Under the proposed new rates, safe and reliable water delivered to you will still cost less than a penny per gallon.

The company has made over $4 million in substantial investments since the last general rate case, in improving the system that serves you to ensure continued high levels of performance of the system now and in the future. For that reason, we must seek an increase in both the monthly base cost and the rate charged for water used.

Details of the rate increase are included in the notice below and a full copy of the rate case and other relevant documents can be viewed on the PUCN website via the link below.

http://pucweb1.state.nv.us/PUC2/DktDetail.aspx