Document #13887, effective 4-22-24, readopted with amendments Chapter Puc 600 titled “Rules for Water Service,” with extensive changes to the wording and format of rules in the chapter.

Pursuant to 2021, 91:187, effective 7-1-21, the Department of Energy was established by the adoption of RSA 12-P. Pursuant to RSA 12-P:11, “All of the functions, powers, duties, records, personnel, and property of the public utilities commission incorporated in the statutes establishing the department of energy and which replace the authority of the commission with the authority of the department of energy, are hereby transferred, as of July 1, 2021, to the department of energy.”

Pursuant to RSA 12-P:14, “Existing rules, orders, and approvals of the public utilities commission which are associated with any functions, powers, and duties, transferred to the department of energy pursuant to RSA 12-P:11 or any other statutory provision, shall continue in effect and be enforced by the commissioner of the department of energy until they expire or are repealed or amended in accordance with applicable law.”

The extensive changes to the former Chapter Puc 600 in Document #13887 were made by the Public Utilities Commission (Commission) pursuant to RSA 365:8, I(b), (e), and (l), after RSA 365:8 was amended by 2021, 91:249 and 250, effective 7-1-21. The amendments in Document #13887 included, but were not limited to, the deletion of existing rules governing customer relations, meter accuracy and testing, equipment and facilities, accident and leak reporting, other reporting, and enforcement procedures which the Department of Energy adopted in Document #13911, effective 3-21-24, containing Chapter En 600 titled “Rules for Water Service.”

Chapter Puc 600 in Document #13887 included new and amended definitions of relevant terms used in the chapter, and deleted other definitions, specified tariff requirements and contents pursuant to Chapter Puc 1600, required Commission authorization to provide water service, prescribed recordkeeping and record retention requirements, reporting and accounting standards, and processes and standards for utility requests for authority to issue securities, and provided rules for expedited small water utility rate proceedings. The “Uniform Classification of Accounts for Water Utilities”, which is exempt from RSA 541-A pursuant to RSA 374:8, II and RSA 541-A:21, I(q), is now referenced in Puc 604.04 titled “Uniform System of Accounts.”

Document #13887 replaced all prior filings affecting the former Chapter Puc 600. The prior filings affecting the rules in the former Chapter Puc 600 after Document #6475, effective 3-25-97, included the following documents:

#8311, eff 3-25-05

#10407, eff 9-10-13

The rules in Document #10407 did not expire on 9-10-23 but were extended pursuant to RSA 541-A:14-a until replaced by the rules in Document #13887, effective 4-22-24.