PROBLEMS OF SMALL PRIVATELY OPERATED WATER COMPANIES IN UTAH

摘要

Private water purveyors (one in seven domestic water supply systems) in Utah operate as 1) customer owned nonprofit systems, and 2) investor owned companies selling domestic water and regulated by the public Service Commission (PSC), Both kinds are characteristically small with 94 percent serving populations of less than 1,000. Per capita costs become high for remote locations with extreme terrain and climate, where scale economics are absent and materials and skills for system repair are not locally available, Statistics indicate that the incidence of water quality violations relate strongly to system size. Many of the older private systems grew out of mutually owned irrigation companies. Their problems generally relate to urbanization. Newer systems 3re commonly creatures of land development activities in remote areas with appealing landscapes and recreational attractions Their problems relate largely to decagons and disclosure about plans for perpetual operation and unrealistic budgeting and financing to provide quality service.