BILL NUMBER: S800
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring the
public service commission to develop a formula for the calculation of a
residential water cost index; requiring each water-works corporation and
municipal water system serving one thousand customers or more to calcu-
late and submit to the public service commission its residential water
cost index; and requiring the public service commission to publish a
report on the residential water cost index of each applicable water-
works corporation and municipal water system
 
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 residential water cost index, a uniform measurement of
the average cost of water usage in residential settings.
 
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 residential 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 31st of each year.
Section two of the bill authorizes municipal water systems to calculate
and submit a residential water cost index.
Section three 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 residential 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 residential
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.
This bill address the governor's veto from last year but explicitly
authorizing municipal water systems to calculate and submit a residen-
tial water cost index. It also clarifies that the water cost index seeks
to measure residential water use which make up the overwhelming majority
of, water customers in water systems.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022: S2938- passed assembly, Died in Senate
 
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.

Statutes affected:
S800: 89-l public service law