2023 Delaware Code › Title 26 - Public Utilities › Chapter 1. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION › Subchapter II. Jurisdiction and Powers › § 203C. Certificates of public convenience and necessity for water utilities.

§ 203C. Certificates of public convenience and necessity for water utilities.
(a) No person or entity (including municipalities, governmental agencies, and water authorities and districts created under Title 9 or Title 16) shall begin the business of a water utility nor shall any existing water utility begin any extension or expansion of its business or operations without having first obtained from the Commission a certificate that the present or future public convenience and necessity requires, or will be served by, the operation of such business or the proposed extension or expansion. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any municipality that has extended its boundaries by annexation as provided for in Chapter 1 of Title 22 provided the municipality operates a water utility that will be expanded or extended into the annexed territory and no certificate of public convenience and necessity shall exist for the annexed territory. The municipality shall promptly give notice to the Public Service Commission of the completion of such annexation.
(b) This section shall not be construed to require any water utility holding an existing certificate of public convenience and necessity to secure an additional certificate from the Commission for existing operations nor shall this section be construed to require an additional certificate for the extension or expansion of operations within a service territory for which a certificate has previously been granted.
(c) An application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to begin, extend or expand the business of a water utility beyond the territory covered by any existing certificate shall be in writing, shall be in such form as determined by the Commission and shall contain the information specified in subsection (d) or (e) of this section.
(d) The Commission shall issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity if the applicant therefore has submitted, together with the application, the following:
(1) Evidence that all landowners of the proposed territory have been notified by certified mail, or its equivalent, of the filing of the application, such evidence consisting of:
a. A list provided by the United States Postal Service, or the alternate delivery service, of those to whom notice was sent and
b. Copies of materials returned to sender; and
(2) One of the following:
a. Evidence that the water in the proposed service area does not meet the regulations governing drinking water standards of the Department of Health and Social Services for human consumption; or
b. Evidence that the supply is insufficient to meet the projected demand.
(e) The Commission shall issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity if the applicant therefore has submitted, together with the application, the following:
(1) Evidence that all landowners of the proposed territory have been notified by certified mail, or its equivalent, of the filing of the application, such evidence consisting of:
a. A list provided by the United States Postal Service, or the alternate delivery service, of those to whom notice was sent and
b. Copies of all materials returned to sender; and 1 of the following:
1. A signed service agreement with the developer of a proposed subdivision or development, which subdivision or development has been duly approved by the respective county government;
2. One or more petitions requesting water service from the applicant executed by the landowners of record of each parcel or property to be encompassed within the proposed territory to be served;
3. In the case of an existing development, subdivision, or generally recognized unincorporated community, 1 or more petitions requesting water service from the applicant executed by the landowners of record of parcels and properties that constitute a majority of the parcels or properties in the existing development, subdivision, or unincorporated community; or
4. A certified copy of a resolution or ordinance from the governing body of a county or municipality that requests, directs, or authorizes the applicant to provide water utility services to the proposed territory to be served, which must be located within the boundary of such county or municipality.
(2) In the case of a new water utility, evidence that it possesses the financial, operational and managerial capacity to comply with all state and federal safe drinking water requirements and that it has, or will procure, adequate supplies of water to meet demand, even in drought conditions, by maintaining supply sufficient to meet existing and reasonably anticipated future peak monthly demands;
(3) Certification by the applicant that any proposed extension of service will satisfy the provisions of § 403 of this title; and
(4) If the Town Council of the Town of Ocean View adopts a resolution providing for water utility service to its residents and undertakes the construction of such service, the provisions contained in paragraph (e)(1) of this section shall not apply to or be required for the Town of Ocean View's application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity under this section.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a certificate of public convenience and necessity to begin, extend or expand the business or operations of a water utility will not be granted if the Commission finds that the applying water utility is unwilling or unable to provide safe, adequate and reliable water service to existing customers, or is currently subject to a Commission finding that the utility is unwilling or unable to provide safe, adequate and reliable water service to existing customers.
(g) (1) An applicant for a certificate of public convenience and necessity shall be deemed in compliance with the notification requirement set forth in paragraphs (d)(1) and (e)(1) of this section with respect to condominium units, as defined in the Delaware Unit Property Act, Chapter 22 of Title 25, upon providing certification signed by an authorized officer of the condominium association that:
a. The officer of the condominium association is properly authorized to sign the petition for water service, and
b. All unit owners have been provided notice of the application. A copy of the notice provided to unit owners shall accompany the certification.
(2) The Commission may establish alternative means of demonstrating compliance with the notification requirement set forth in this section, including verification that notification has been delivered to the land owners of the proposed territory to be served, subject to a finding that the appropriate internet accessible technology creating a record that the notification has been sent and the status of its receipt is employed by the United States Postal Service, and after soliciting input on the use of such technology from water utilities.
(h) (1) The Commission shall act on an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within 90 days of the submission of a completed application. For good cause shown, and if it finds that the public interest would be served, the Commission may extend the date of its action on an application for an additional period not to exceed 30 days.
(2) Any proceedings involving certificates of public convenience and necessity shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in subchapter III of Chapter 101 of Title 29.
(i) For applications submitted pursuant to paragraphs (e)(1)b.2. and (e)(1)b.3. of this section, any landowner of record whose parcel or property (or any part thereof) is located within the proposed territory to be served shall be entitled to opt out and have the landowner's parcel or property excluded from the proposed territory to be served. A request to opt out shall be submitted by any landowner of record prior to the issuance of a certificate of public convenience and necessity. In the case of a parcel with multiple landowners of record, a request to opt out may be rescinded or countermanded by the landowners of record holding, or vested with, a controlling interest in the parcel or property. Notwithstanding the opt-out provision in the preceding sentences, no such opt-out right shall apply to the Town of Dagsboro to implement the results of a special election held on April 27, 2002; that election voted to establish water services by contract with a neighboring municipality that has an established water utility service. Notwithstanding the objection and opt-out provisions contained in this subsection, if the Town Council of the Town of Ocean View adopts a resolution providing for water utility service to its residents and undertakes the construction of such service, the objection and opt-out provisions shall not be available to the residents of the Town of Ocean View.
(j) For purposes of this section, the phrase “landowner of record” shall mean each person or entity holding a fee ownership interest in a parcel of real property that would be encompassed within the proposed territory to be served. A landowner of record shall be determined as of the time of the filing of the application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity and may be identified by reference to public tax and public land records or relevant land conveyances. The phrase “landowners of the proposed territory” shall mean the landowners of record of the parcel or parcels to be encompassed within the proposed territory to be served. However, with respect to condominium units, as defined in the Delaware Unit Property Act, Chapter 22 of Title 25, the phrase “landowner of record” and “landowners of the proposed territory” shall be deemed to mean the governing body or authorized officers of any condominium association with authority to act on behalf of unit owners, unless the underlying real property on which such condominium units have been built has been leased, directly or indirectly, to unit owners and the underlying real property owner retains the power to bind the unit owners. A petition from a governing body or authorized officers of a condominium association shall comply with paragraph (g)(1) of this section.
(k) The Commission may undertake to suspend or revoke for good cause a certificate of public convenience and necessity held by a water utility. Good cause shall consist of:
(1) A finding made by the Commission of material noncompliance by the holder of the certificate with any provisions of Title 7, 16 or 26 dealing with obtaining water or providing water and water services to customers, or any order or rule of the Commission relating to the same; and
(2) The presence of such additional factors as deemed necessary by the Commission as outlined in subsection (l) of this section.
(l) Prior to July 1, 2001, the Commission shall establish rules for the revocation of a certificate of public convenience and necessity held by a water utility. Such regulations shall outline the factors, in addition to those outlined in subsection (k) of this section, which must be present for a finding of good cause for revocation of a certificate. Such additional factors shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A finding by the Commission that, to the extent practicable, service to customers will remain uninterrupted under an alternative water utility or a designated third party capable of providing adequate water service; and,
(2) To the extent practicable, the Commission should attempt to identify methods to mitigate any financial consequences to customers served by the utility subject to a revocation.
(m) The power to revoke a certificate of public convenience and necessity granted by this section shall not apply to a certificate held by a municipally-owned water utility or by a water district or water authority created and operated under Titles 9 and 16. In the case of water utilities that are public utilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, the Commission shall have the authority to assess penalties under § 217 of this title.
(n) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the power to grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity pursuant to this section to a water authority created under Title 16 shall be limited to the boundaries of the municipality or municipalities which created it unless the Commission is provided with a resolution passed by the governing body of that municipality or municipalities which requests that the certificate be granted.
72 Del. Laws, c. 402, §  6;  73 Del. Laws, c. 264, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 86, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 351, §§  1, 2;  76 Del. Laws, c. 55, §§  1-3, 6;