The Arizona Corporation Commission approved emergency funds for a water company in Yavapai County which has been struggling financially and in dire need of infrastructure improvements. It is the first time Commissioners approved allocating funds from the newly formed Small Water Systems Fund.
The fund was established by the Arizona Legislature and is described in ARS § 49-355. Last year in Decision 75626 the Arizona Corporation Commission established a process for providing emergency funds to small water companies that are struggling to make repairs and keep water services safe and reliable.
Acme Water Company, which is divided into four separate public water systems, has experienced more than 44 percent water loss in one system according to its 2015 Annual Report. The company serves approximately 123 customers in mobile home communities northeast of Congress. Commission Staff determined the cause to be serious deterioration of the service lines. The Commission approved an allocation of $200,914 for repairs. In addition, Walden Meadows Community Cooperative will take on the role of interim manager to help the company with managing the crisis and ensuring reliability in the future.
Most of the residents in those communities are on fixed incomes, so this decision eliminates the need for any rate increases to pay for repairs.