Press Release

PUC Audit Makes Management Recommendations to Bucks County Water Co.

Published on 11/19/2010

Filed under: Water and Wastewater

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today released a report on the Focused Management and Operations Audit of Newtown Artesian Water Co.

The Commission voted 5-0 to make the audit report and the company’s implementation plan public.  The Focused Management and Operations Audit analyzed and evaluated management performance in five areas.  The audit was conducted by the PUC’s Bureau of Audits staff.

The audit makes 10 recommendations to the company for improvement, none of which were significant.  The company indicated acceptance of all 10 recommendations in its implementation plan.

The audit recommendations included:

• Developing and maintaining a damage prevention program to include a damage statistic database and a pipeline awareness program for the Company’s stakeholders;
• Issuing periodic reminder notices to commercial/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 update the list of licensed testers sent to customers on an annual basis;
• Developing a central file to maintain annual main break and leak information and use this data to update the distribution maps in order to help make informed main replacement decisions;  
• Developing and maintaining a Cyber Security Plan in accordance with Chapter 101 and test and update it on an annual basis;
• Examining opportunities including the associated costs and benefits of reducing the billing lag to a more reasonable level;
• Maintaining board of director fees at the current level until they more closely reflect the fees of similar size utilities; and
• Addressing all the external audit firm’s management letter recommendations in a timely manner.

The company provides water service to approximately 10,000 customers in portions of Bucks County. 

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities to ensure safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protect the public interest; educate consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; further economic development; and foster new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases, audio of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.state.pa.us.

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Docket no. D-2010-2152132

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• Press Secretary
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