{"id":2343307,"date":"2024-09-19T09:51:56","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T13:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-study-panel-discusses-regulating-private-water-systems-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-19T09:55:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T13:55:00","slug":"house-study-panel-discusses-regulating-private-water-systems-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-study-panel-discusses-regulating-private-water-systems-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"House study panel discusses regulating private water systems &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhouse-study-panel-discusses-regulating-private-water-systems-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2343307&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A recent meeting of a\u200c Georgia House study\u2063 committee addressed the\u200c regulation of private water\u2063 systems,\u2064 prompted by testimony from Jacob Fried, who shared his challenging experience opening a car wash. \u200dFried \u200cdetailed the substantial costs he faced, including a staggering $50,000 bill for connecting to the water and sewer \u200bsystems provided by Piedmont Water,\u200c a \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twitter-permanently-bans-president-trumps-account\/\" title=\"Twitter permanently bans President Trump\u2019s account\">private company<\/a>. This financial \u2062burden \u2064ultimately led to his bankruptcy.\u2064 Many \u2062other customers of Piedmont Water echoed Fried&#8217;s concerns about high\u200c rates. In response, Rep. Trey Rhodes proposed a bill that\u200c would empower the Public Service Commission to oversee private water systems, similar \u2062to how public \u200cwater systems \u200care regulated. The committee is \u200bcurrently deliberating whether private water providers should be\u2062 subject to regulation to protect consumers from excessive charges.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">House study panel discusses regulating private water systems<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1763999\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Jacob Fried told a state House study committee on Wednesday that he wasn&rsquo;t prepared for the sticker shock he experienced when opening his car wash three and a half years ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The rates from Piedmont Water, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-lawmakers-pass-bill-to-bring-water-back-to-unincorporated-town\/\" title=\"Arizona passes bill to restore water to town.\">private water company<\/a> in Eatonton, forced him into bankruptcy.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The first sticker shock was when the builder called for our sewer tap and four our water tap, and it was over $50,000 just for the privilege of tapping onto the two systems,&rdquo; Fried told the House Study Committee on Private Water Systems.<\/p>\n<p>Part of the $50,000 was for a $13,000 grinder pump, but it was still &ldquo;a hard pill to swallow,&rdquo; Fried said.<\/p>\n<p>The committee is considering whether or not private water systems should be regulated, as the state&rsquo;s city and county water systems are. Fried&rsquo;s story was one of several shared by Piedmont customers who complained of the company&rsquo;s high water rates.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Trey Rhodes, R-Greensboro, sponsored a&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/legislation\/66887\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;during the 2024 session of the Georgia General Assembly that would give the Public Service Commission the authority to oversee private water systems.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;All I want for my people is a fair price,&rdquo; Rhodes said at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bank-of-america-warns-no-landing-scenario-could-crash-stocks-this-year\/\" title=\"Bank of America Warns \u201cNo Landing\u201d Scenario Could Crash Stocks This Year\">committee meeting held<\/a> at Lakeside Church in Greensboro.<\/p>\n<p>Brent Hurst, chief operation officer for Piedmont Water, said the cost of regulation would be &ldquo;pretty significant&rdquo; for his company.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our estimates are going to be anywhere from half a million to three quarters of a million for a utility our size to just put together the rate case studies to submit to the Public Service Commission not to mention the costs that it would take to actually go through every single rate case study that would get submitted,&rdquo; Hurst said.<\/p>\n<p>Public Service Commissioner Jason Shaw said the regulated model is not always the least expensive one.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A regulated model is where you determine what is faire, what is reasonable and what is prudent in terms of investments and that&rsquo;s where you also guarantee a private company a rate of return that is fair,&rdquo; Shaw said. &ldquo;And in some cases when you take depreciation and taxes and everything&ndash;investments&ndash;that guaranteed rate of return that is the fair rate of return can cause rates to go up.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The committee will hear more testimony when it meets Oct. 9 in Atlanta.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1763999\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1763999\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>House study panel considers regulation of private water systems (The Center Square) \u2013 Jacob Fried shared with a state House study committee on Wednesday that he was taken aback by the high costs he encountered when launching his car wash three and a half years ago. The charges from Piedmont Water, a private water provider in Eatonton, led him to bankruptcy. \u201cThe initial shock came when the builder informed us that the fees for our sewer and water taps exceeded $50,000 just for the right to connect to both systems,\u201d Fried explained to the House Study Committee on Private Water Systems. This amount included $13,000 for a grinder pump, which Fried described as \u201ca hard pill to swallow.\u201d The committee is evaluating whether private water systems should be subject to regulation similar to that of municipal and county water systems. Fried\u2019s experience was one of several accounts from Piedmont customers who voiced concerns about the company\u2019s steep rates. Rep. Trey Rhodes, R-Greensboro, introduced legislation during Georgia&#8217;s 2024 session aimed at granting the Public Service Commission oversight over private water systems. \u201cAll I want is fair pricing for my constituents,\u201d Rhodes stated during the meeting held at Lakeside Church in Greensboro. Brent Hurst, COO of Piedmont Water, remarked that regulatory costs would be &#8220;quite significant&#8221; for his company. \u201cOur estimates suggest it could range from half a million to three-quarters of a million dollars just to prepare rate case studies for submission to the Public Service Commission; this doesn\u2019t even include expenses related to processing each individual rate case,\u201d Hurst noted. Public Service Commissioner Jason Shaw pointed out that regulated models are not always more cost-effective: \u201cIn regulated environments, we assess what is fair and reasonable regarding investments while ensuring companies receive an appropriate return on investment; however, this guaranteed return can sometimes lead rates to increase due to factors like depreciation and taxes.\u201d The committee plans to gather further testimony during its next meeting on October 9 in Atlanta<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2343308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP22239568171919.jpeg.optimal.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3653,8636,9562,4866],"class_list":["post-2343307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-house","tag-panel","tag-regulating","tag-study"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP22239568171919.jpeg.optimal.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2343307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}