1999 State of Wyoming 99LSO-0261


                             SENATE FILE NO. SF0050
                                        
                                        
Public water systems-rates.

Sponsored by: Joint Agriculture, Public Lands and Water
              Resources Interim Committee


                                     A BILL
                                        
                                       for

 1  AN ACT relating to public water supply systems; limiting

 2  rates charged for delivery of water by water supply systems

 3  as specified; and providing for an effective date.

 4

 5  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 6

 7       Section 1.  W.S. 15-7-602(a)(i), (ii) and (b) and

 8  16-1-108(c) are amended to read:

 9     

10       15-7-602.  Extension of system; outside corporate

11  limits; rates; existing contracts; controversies; appeal.

12     

13       (a)  All cities and towns owning their municipal water

14  system or plant may enter into agreements with customers

15  whose lands lie outside the corporate limits to supply water

16  for their use and needs.  The water system may be extended

17  and maintained beyond the corporate limits only if it is



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 1  economically feasible in the opinion of the governing body.

 2  The governing body may finance the extension and maintenance

 3  of the water system through revenue bonds or other means

 4  granted by law for financing of its water system and

 5  improvements.  The rate established for use of water

 6  pursuant to this section is as follows:

 7     

 8        (i)    As   to  cities  and  towns   extending   water

 9   service  outside  their corporate limits  on  April  1,  1998,  the

10   ratio of the rate charged to the customers, to the 

11   established rate within the corporate limits of the city or 

12   town on the effective date shall remain constant 

13   Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a city 

14   or town whose water supply system is funded in whole or in 

15   part by state grants or loans which at any time after April 

16   1, 1999 or later, enters into a new contract or extends an 

17   existing contract to supply water to customers outside its 

18   corporate limits shall in establishing rates be limited to 

19   the actual costs of providing and delivering water as 

20   defined by paragraph (ii) of this subsection, except as 

21   otherwise provided by W.S. 15-7-407;

22          

23       (ii)   As  to  cities  and  towns  which  do  not  extend

24   water   service   For   new   customers    outside their corporate

25   limits on April 1, 1998, and beginning December 1, 1998 



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 1  April 1, 1999, where the city or town is a recipient of

 2  state grants or loans, and except as otherwise provided in

 3  W.S.  15-7-407, the established waterrate shall be  limited

 4  to not exceed the actual costs of delivery as measured 

 5  providing and delivering waterto the point of connection to

 6  the  city's  or  town's water distribution system. including 

 7  actual  administrative  costs  for  billing  customers.   Prior  to

 8  December 1, 1998, or where the city or town is not a 

 9  recipient of state grants or loans and except as otherwise 

10  provided in W.S. 15-7-407, the established rate shall be 

11  applied uniformly and shall not exceed two (2) times the 

12  established  rate  within  the  corporate  limits.  The governing 

13  body of the city or town may establish one (1) or more 

14  unincorporated service areas in each of which an average 

15  water rate may be used for all customers.  A one time 

16  connection fee or system investment fee reasonably 

17  calculated to permit recovery of a proportionate share of 

18  the system infrastructure cost necessary to treat and convey 

19  the water may also be charged.  Charges for special services 

20  such as customer's line maintenance shall be in addition to 

21  the water rate.As used in this paragraph, "actual costs of 

22  providing and delivering water" shall include a

23  proportionate share of the following costs related to the 

24  water system:

25          



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 1                 (A)  Fees, i nterest charges and principal

 2  payments on all bonds issued and other indebtedness incurred

 3  to construct,purchase or improve the utility;

 4               

 5                 (B)  Salaries and wages of employees;

 6               

 7                 (C)   The cost of materials,  and supplies, 

 8  utilities and outside services;

 9               

10                 (D)   The  cost  of  miscellaneous  expenses;   and

11  Other costs directly related to the delivery system;

12               

13                 (E)  The cost for providing and maintaining a

14  depreciation fund,. a fund for emergencies and  a fund for 

15  acquisition and development of new water rights and water 

16  sources;

17          

18                 (F)  Administrative and overhead expenses; 

19  and

20          

21                 (G)  The cost of acquiring, transporting, 

22  processing and treating water.

23          

24              (b)   Any  contracts  between  a  municipality   and   a

25  consumer outside the corporate limits of the municipality, 



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 1 which were in existence on April 1, 1998, shall remain in 

 2 full force and effect in accordance with the existing terms 

 3 thereof, except that the contracts shall bear their 

 4 proportionate share of any additional capital improvements 

 5 to the water system of the city or town.  Subsection (a) of 

 6 this section shall not apply if the ratio of the rate 

 7 charged to customers outside the corporate limits of the 

 8 city or town to the established rate within the corporate 

 9 limits are less than one and one-quarter (1.25) to one (1).

10     

11       16-1-108.  Obligations and responsibilities of

12  participating agencies.

13     

14       (c)  After April 1, 1998, any legal entity created

15  pursuant to this act or any of its participating agencies,

16  which owns, constructs, operates or maintains a municipal or

17  rural domestic water supply system funded in whole or in

18  part by state grants or loans, shall not assess public

19  entities or individual water users in the cooperating

20  agencies' service area water ratecharges which exceed the

21  actual cost costs of providing anddelivering water to the

22  point of connection to the public entities' or individual

23  water  users'  water  system. except for  a  The governing body  

24  of the entity may establish one (1) or more service areas in 

25  each of which an average water rate may be used for all 



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 1  customers.  Aone time connection fee or system investment

 2  fee which fee shall be reasonably calculated to permit

 3  recovery of a proportionate share of the system

 4  infrastructure  cost  necessary to treat  and  convey  the  water.

 5  The charges assessed customers may include actual 

 6  administrative costs associated with billing customersmay

 7  also be charged. Charges for special services such as 

 8  customer's line maintenance shall be in addition to the 

 9  water rate.As used in this subsection, "actual costs of 

10  providing and delivering water" shall include a

11  proportionate share of the following costs related to the 

12  water system:

13     

14            (i)  Fees, i nterest charges and principal payments

15  on all bonds issued and other indebtedness incurredto

16  construct,purchase or improve the utility;

17          

18            (ii)  Salaries and wages of employees;

19          

20             (iii)  The cost of materials,  and supplies, 

21  utilities and outside services;

22          

23              (iv)    The cost of miscellaneous expenses; and

24  Other costs directly related to the delivery system;

25          



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 1            (v)  The cost for providing and maintaining a

 2   depreciation fund,. a fund for emergencies and a fund for 

 3  acquisition and development of new water rights and water 

 4  sources; and

 5     

 6          (vi)  Administrative and overhead expenses; and

 7     

 8            (vii)  The cost of acquiring, transporting, 

 9  processing and treating water.

10     

11       Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 1999.

12     

13                                      (END)

                                        

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