Press Release

PUC Efficiency Investigation Shows Newtown Artesian Water Working to Implement Previous Audit Recommendations

Published on 7/16/2013

Filed under: Water and Wastewater

HARRISBURG – According to an audit report released today by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), Newtown Artesian Water Co. (NAWC) had implemented four of nine recommendations reviewed from a Focused Management and Operations Audit report released in November 2010.

The Commission voted 5-0 to make the audit report and the company’s implementation plan to address those recommendations public. 

The objective of this Management Efficiency Investigation (MEI) was to review and evaluate the effectiveness of NAWC’s efforts to implement certain recommendations contained in the 2010 Focused Management and Operations Audit report. The scope of this evaluation was limited to NAWC’s efforts in implementing nine prior management audit recommendations.

The PUC found that NAWC has effectively or substantially implemented four of the nine prior management audit recommendations reviewed and has taken some action on the five other recommendations. Among the more notable improvements achieved by NAWC are:

• Developed and maintains a damage prevention program;
• Updated its Drought Contingency Plan periodically;
• Developed a centralized database for leak and main break activity;
• Developed a Cyber Security Plan; and
• Conducted a customer service satisfaction survey.

The PUC also identified additional improvement opportunities. In particular, NAWC needs to:

• Strive to address all outstanding and future management letter recommendations in a timely manner;
• Issue periodic reminder notices to commercial and industrial customers that are non-compliant with installing backflow prevention devices and implement measures to enforce installation of such devices for high risk customers; and
• Further reduce its excessive billing lag.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

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