By Annette Newcomb/Editor
A pre-hearing conference concerning the Van Woods Estates Waterworks will be held Tuesday, April 15, under the direction of the Public Service Commission.
The pre-hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in the Amincon Falls Hearing Room, first floor, 610 N. Whitney Way, Madison.
The pre-hearing comes on the heels of numerous complaints from the residents of Van Woods Estates in Twin Lakes, most whom have been under a boil order for more than a year.
The pre-hearing provides an opportunity to comment on who, other than parties already identified, will be actively participate. Also discussed will be issues and scheduling.
All documents in this docket are filed on the commissions electronic Regulatory filing (ERF) system. To view these documents go to the Commission’s website at http://psc.wi.gov. Enter “6075-WI-100” in the box labeled “link directly to a case” and select “go.”
A hearing scheduled for Nov. 21 will address a handful of complaints including discriminations of services, unbilled utility services and compliance with prescribed Uniform Systems of Accounts based on state statue.
Van Woods residents have been dealing with the small water utility that gives them poor service, unsafe water and excuses. The Van Woods Estates Water Works Inc., is owned by Matthew and Patricia Stahl of Woodstock, Ill., and operated by their son, Chris.
Problems include multiple water main breaks, low water pressure and water quality problems, all which forced the DNR to issue a boil water notice last fall and that remains in place.
The DNR issued a notice of violation alleging violations of DNR regulations on safe drinking water; requirements for the operation and maintenance of public water system and requirements for operation and design of community water systems.
The DNR says these violations include low water pressure, water quality problems delays in making repairs after water main breaks, boil water notices and alleged failures or inadequacies in implementing boil water orders.
During the course of its investigation, the DNR also identified potential violations of the Public Service Commission standards for water public utility service.
The Public Service Commission sent a letter to the Stahls on Oct. 25, 2013, requesting billing and financial information related to the water utility.
Last fall 40 Van Woods Subdivision residents filled the Twin Lakes Village Hall, eager to discuss the water problems and learn what solutions were possible, with the help of a panel that included Marianna Sucht, DNR Water Supply Specialist; Sharon Gayan, DNR Deputy Water Leader; Steve Elmore, DNR Public Water Supply; Deb Roszak DNR Environmental Enforcement, Jeff Stone, Water, Compliance and Consumer Affairs Division with the Public Service Commission and Jennifer Pollitt, Twin Lakes Village Administrator.
Residents told stories of not being able to shower due to low water pressure and being forced to buy bottled water and boil water. Other residents said they were over charged for water usage and said their meters are seldom read.
Residents paid a quarterly charge of $36 plus $3.79 per 1,000 gallons, according to PSC paperwork.
The Van Woods Estates Water Utility has two pumps. The Walnut Street well is the main well, and is 1,100 feet deep and currently set to pump at the 500 ft. level; a second well, referred to as the Sycamore Street well, is a shallow well that is supposed to be a secondary well used only for a day or two until repairs are made on the deeper well. Right now all 40 residential users are drawing from the shallow well, which it can’t handle.
Marianna Sucht, DNR Water Supply Specialist said, “The shallow well pumps at 40 gallons per minute. That is not enough for 40 residents. It should be at least 120 per minute.”
During the meeting held last fall, she said the deeper well apparently runs, but then trips a breaker, shutting down. The problem could be raw wires rubbing on the well casing or the pump itself, she said. Either way the Stahls say they don’t have the money to get it fixed.
PSC representative Jeff Stone, who had only been on the job three weeks prior to last fall’s meeting, told residents, “The PSC will tell the utility what they have to do. There is a range of estimates. What will it take to get the system working property? The Stahls have operated two other utilities that they have walked away from, and it looks like they are leaning that way now.”
If the Stahls walked away from the utility, there are several steps residents can take.
Options offered during the 2013 meeting included forming a co-op. The Van Woods residents would have to form a board and set up an account to pay for repairs. Stone offered estimates he said were “broad” since the PSC does not know the extent of the damage to the water pipes. If all 40 residents now on the utility formed a coop and took over the utility and if repair costs ran $100,000 it would trickle down to $824 per year per residential user (in addition to normal water use charges.)
That total would be broken down to $205 a quarter or $68 a month.
However, if the repairs ran to the high size of $500,000, it could cost Van Woods residents $1,593 per year; $398 a quarter or $133 per month.
A second option offered during the 2013 meeting would be for residents to drill private drills. Average cost is $10,000 for a private well to be drilled and that does not include cost of replacing any water pipes that have been patched or not repaired correctly over the years.
A resident asked if two neighbors could share a well and the cost. The DNR said that was possible but there is always concern that one neighbor won’t pay for their share of upkeep and maintenance.
Twin Lakes Village Administrator Jennifer Pollitt said last fall if the Stahls walk away from the water utility, the village would inherit it. However, because the village does not have a water utility, the village would make minor repairs, with board approval, then the village would give residents notice that they would be abandoning the system and residents would have to dig wells.