AN ACT CONCERNING SMALL COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 16-20 of the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (c) as follows (Effective from passage):
(NEW) (c) The authority, on its own initiative, or upon request by the Commissioner of Public Health, may initiate an investigation to determine whether the rates of a small community water system are inadequate for such water system to maintain economic viability and provide adequate service to its customers. As used in this subsection, "small community water system" means a water system that is not required to submit a water supply plan under section 25-32d. The authority shall, not more than one hundred fifty days after the commencement of such investigation, if appropriate, issue an order prescribing the appropriate service to be furnished by the water system and the appropriate rates or charges that are necessary to furnish such service. Prior to the issuance of any such order raising rates or charges of such water system's customers, the authority, in consultation with the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney General, shall consider the financial impact that any such rate increase may have on such water system's ratepayers. If such rate increase is one hundred per cent or more, such increase shall be phased in over the course of a two-year period. If at any time during such investigation any party in interest requests a hearing, the authority shall, after notice to all parties and not more than thirty days after receiving the request, hold a hearing and, if appropriate, issue an order prescribing the service to be furnished by the small community water system and the appropriate rates or charges at which the service shall be furnished. If such hearing is held, the authority shall have commensurate additional time to issue such order.