Michelle Hinchey, D-Saugerties, said the PSC ruling was commendable. Despite these challenges intensifying late last year, the Department’s timely intervention has been instrumental in ensuring customers had safe and reliable service.” “Since 2019, PULP has actively worked alongside local elected officials and affected consumers to resolve these problems. “We also thank the Commission and the Department for their continued efforts to address the longstanding safety and reliability concerns faced by Hudson Valley Water Company customers,” said Laurie Wheelock, exertive director and counsel of the Public Utility Law Project (PULP). and install a single operator in response to the company’s ongoing service failures, according to her office.Īdditionally, a utility watchdog group that issued its own complaint to the PSC lauded the agency’s decision on Thursday. In a letter in the PSC in January, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said that after a system failure began on Dec.16, the Boiceville system was left without drinking water service for nearly a month, according to her office. Metzger and town officials urged the Public Service Commission to start proceedings to remove the owners of the Hudson Valley Water Company, Inc. “People need the security to know the source of their water is reliable and safe to drink,” said Olive Supervisor Jim Sofranko. Water is life, and our residents deserve service they can depend on.” “The chronic problems associated with HVWC’s service are unacceptable, and the company’s failure to follow the improvement plan set out for them by the Commission suggests that the only fix is to change owners. “I want to thank the Public Service Commission for taking prompt action on our urgent request to address long-standing issues with the service provided by Hudson Valley Water Company to more than 430 Ulster County households,” Metzger said in a statement Thursday. Metzger and others also lauded the PSC decision. Jeffrey Fuller, president of the water company, has said that the company is open “to mutual and fair discussions” with larger water providers” for a possible takeover of the company but believes a transfer is “unwarranted.” “Based on the initial phase of staff’s current investigation, staff contends that the company failed to comply with all recommendations designed to improve customer service and service reliability failed to follow Ulster County Department of Health recommendations to improve water service experienced numerous service outages and boil water orders and incurred numerous customer complaints since 2019 regarding customer service, termination threats, and quality of service,” the PSC said. In response to recent complaints, department staff started an investigation into how the company has complied with the recommendations made in the 2020 report and directives in the 2023 rate order. The Department of Public Service staff contends, after an initial investigation showing apparent instances “of inconsistent operational and managerial actions, as well as inconsistent and ineffective improvements, that the company has not shown it has the capability to consistently operate its five small water systems in Ulster Count,’ the PSC said in a statement.Īdditionally, the company’s currently effective rates were authorized by a Commission order, issued May 19, 2023, “which also directed the company to complete further actions to address operational and customer service concerns,” the PSC said. “With today’s action, we are formally starting the process to determine whether the company has failed to meet this basic requirement, and we will take swift action if the company is found to have failed to meet necessary operating standards.” “Every New Yorker deserves access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water,” said Commission Chairman Rory M. The company has faced years worth of complaints from customers over service and water quality. Thursday’s session was the start-up of the commission’s consideration to replace the operation of the Hudson Valley Water Company with a new operator. Their answer is due before March 1, the commission ruled. The Public Service Commission made its unanimous decision that requires the company to answer why it thinks the takeover should not occur. – A state regulatory agency issued Thursday an “order to show cause” to the beleaguered Hudson Valley Water Company in connection with the possible required takeover of their operation.
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