Public Comment & Hearing - W-01303A-25-0226 - Epcor Water Arizona Inc.

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Arizona Corporation Commission 46 min 8 agenda items transcribed 3 days ago official recording ↗

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What is the purpose and scope of the Epcor Water Arizona hearing?

Donna Sanso 0:01

In that case we're going to get started. Uh let's go ahead and go on the record at this time. Good morning. This is the time set for the public comment and evidentiary hearing in the matter of the application of Epcor Water Arizona Incorporated. to extend its certificate of convenience and necessity for its Santan water district. This is docket number W dash zero one three zero three A dash two five zero. Dash zero two two six. My name is Donna Sanso, and I am the administrative law judge assigned to preside over this matter. We'll start with appearances. I will start by uh taking the appearances for the company.

Greg Stein 0:46

Yes, good morning, Your Honor. Greg Stein for Epcor. Um appearing on behalf of Jason Gelman and I also have Steve Camp, uh engineer developer services at Council Table.

Bridget Humphrey 0:56

Thank you. And for staff? Good morning, Your Honor, Bridget Humphrey on behalf of staff. And with me at council table are staff's witnesses, Vicki Wallace and Connor Tatz.

Donna Sanso 1:05

All right,

Bridget Humphrey 1:06

thank you.

Donna Sanso 1:07

Now, uh, before we move into public comment, I do want to ask if there's any procedural items or issues that need to be addressed. I'll start with the company.

Greg Stein 1:16

Uh Your Honor, just the the issue that was uh addressed off the record before that we have uh a few uh exhibits, exhibits A two and A three that didn't make it into the exhibit binder. So though they're either being printed off right now or I believe discussion was potentially just stipulating to the uh submission of of the exhibits that had been filed before the hearing.

Donna Sanso 1:37

All right. And uh staff, do you have any comment?

Bridget Humphrey 1:41

Donna Sanso 1:41

staff

Bridget Humphrey 1:41

would agree with that that uh proposal that we can either uh But that we can utilize the online documents at least until the the hard copies get here and we'll stipulate to the to admission of those. Uh Steph has no other issues.

Donna Sanso 1:55

All right, that works for me. Uh in that case, I believe it is time to move on to public comment. This is the time for any member of the public present to uh provide comments on this matter. Are there any members of the public who would like to provide comment today regarding Epcor's application? I don't see any in the hearing room and I don't believe that we have any on the phone line at this time, so let the record reflect that no one has indicated a desire to speak. Uh moving right along at this time, would either party like to make an opening statement, starting with the company?

Greg Stein 2:34

Yes, Your Honor. Briefly, uh this uh might appear at the outset to be a confusing C CNN application, but really it's only confusing uh due to the large number of parcels, 20 plus that are included in the application. Otherwise, it's a relatively straightforward uh cleanup application to include various parcels that for one reason or another were carved out of the company. Companies existing Santan water C CNN. So we've dubbed this the Santan Carve Out C CNN. There are simple connections here just uh needed to serve these parcels, um, just simple extensions of existing main water lines. Uh and as I mentioned before, this is just a water C CNN. Uh our understanding is that the parcels are uh are already sold.

Greg Stein 3:24

Served or will be served by septic systems. And also just getting ahead of the issue, there were a few items that in the staff report that we've submitted exhibits for or wanted to clarify. And through Mr. Camp's testimony, we will be introducing an exhibit showing that the applicable water plant uh has a certified operator. Uh for some reason or another ADEQ's records were showing uh that there was not a certified operator, but um there is and his name is Jeremiah Foster. Uh the second issue was uh ADEQ noted that the that a well enclosure uh or a or a existing well and well head needed to uh have a uh a fence enclosure built uh that has been done and is set forth as part of exhibit A3. And the last issue was um uh excess water loss, uh uh believe 16.3 percent.

Greg Stein 4:26

Which exceeded the acceptable water loss of 10%. For Santan, we recently finished our rate case with a decision in July of 2025 as a compliance item in that matter.