What's happening
This bill requires water utilities in New York to annually calculate and report a standardized water cost index to the Public Service Commission, which will publish comparative statewide data.
Why it matters
Creates a standardized, transparent way for consumers and policymakers to compare water costs across different providers and regions, which could highlight disparities or inefficiencies in water pricing.
Requires utilities and municipal water systems to use a uniform calculation method, making water bills more understandable and potentially empowering customers to question unusually high rates or advocate for fairer pricing.
Mandates annual public reporting and statistical analysis by the Public Service Commission, increasing governmental oversight and accountability for water providers, and informing future policy or regulatory actions.
Could influence investment, infrastructure decisions, and rate-setting by making cost data more visible to lawmakers, the public, and advocacy groups, encouraging improved service and cost controls.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Annual Water Cost Reports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 61
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A7183A
- Ordered to third reading cal.2057
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Annual Water Cost Reports
Vetoed · Sponsor Kenneth Zebrowski
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8225
IN SENATE
April 19, 2018
Introduced by Sen. RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring water works corporations and municipal water systems to annually calculate and submit to the public service commission their water cost index
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 89-k to read as follows:
§ 89-k. Water cost index. 1. For the purposes of this section, "water cost index" means the annual cost of water for an average single family household served by a water works corporation or municipal water system. The water cost index shall be calculated using uniform factors developed by the commission including, but not limited to, usage, fees, applicable taxes, meter size and seasonal rate structures.
2. Within six months of the effective date of this section, the commission shall develop a formula for the calculation of a water cost index. Such formula shall include the uniform factors to be used by any water works corporation or municipal water system in calculating its water cost index. The commission shall publish such formula on its website, and shall provide such formula to each water works corporation and municipal water system serving one thousand customers or more. The commission may, from time to time, update such formula.
3. Annually, each water works corporation and municipal water system serving one thousand customers or more shall calculate and submit to the commission its water cost index. The water cost index shall be submitted to the commission within sixty days succeeding the close of its fiscal year. Municipal water systems may submit its water cost index as part of their annual report as provided for in section eighty-nine-l of this article.
4. Annually, by December thirty-first, the commission shall publish a report on the water cost index of each applicable water works corporation and municipal water system of the preceding calendar year. The
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10701-03-8
S. 8225 2
report shall provide a statistical analysis of the data and a comparison of water cost indexes throughout the state, including, but not limited to, comparisons based on regions, type of provider, and size.
5. A copy of the report shall be posted on the commission's website and the commission shall notify the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate energy and telecommunications committee, and the chair of the assembly corporations, authorities and commissions committee of its posting and any updates made thereto.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring water works corporations and municipal water systems to annually calculate and submit to the public service commission their water cost index
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would require public and private water supply systems, serving over one thousand customers, to annually submit to the Public Service Commission their water cost index, a uniform measurement of the average cost of water usage.
Summary of provisions
Section one of the bill amends the Public Service Law by adding a new section 89-k as it relates to requiring public and private water supply systems, serving over one thousand customers, to annually submit to the Public Service Commission their water cost index. The Public Service Commission shall develop the water cost index calculation based on uniform consumption factors. Water works corporations and municipal water systems, using the calculations provided by the Public Service Commission, shall submit their water cost index within sixty days of the close of their fiscal year. The Commission shall annually publish a report with all the submitted data and the analysis on their website by December 31 of each year.
Section two of the bill relates to the effective date.
Justification
There is little information available to consumers on how each water supply providers costs vary throughout the state. Each water system bills consumers in different measurements and utilizes various cost structures which make it difficult to compare the impact to consumers across systems.
This bill would shed light on the annual costs to consumers and provide valuable information to ratepayers. It would require the PSC to develop a uniform standard on measuring the annual cost of water in each public and private water supply system. This will allow consumers to analyze their water costs and compare to systems across the state. Water is not a commodity that is traded or which has prices that are uniform across markets; leading to varying costs throughout the state.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
Minimal cost to the Commission in collecting the data from water systems.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.