Introduction Thank you for inviting me back to this conference in Santa Fe. Once again, the agenda of this conference is timely, interesting and full of promise. Unfortunately for me, a Commission meeting, which I must attend, prevents me from staying for the panels and discussions that will occur tomorrow and Wednesday. These people commonly rely on state Public Utility Commissions to ensure that the prices of this water service are reasonable and that the companies have an opportunity to earn a fair return on their investment. Nevertheless, the number of people served by private water companies is far less than those served by private telecommunications and energy companies.
All associations trade information about the critical issues facing members.
The critical issues affecting the regulation of water and the water industry throughout the country fall into three major areas. The first area concerns the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. The amendments created major new treatment obligations for all purveyors of water. These treatment standards require major investments in filtration and storage technologies. To ease this financial burden, the act created a State Revolving Fund, which provides low cost financing for these new capital improvements.