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ALEX LEARYCounty Commissioner Ann Hildebrand hopes to form a local panel to handle water customers' complaints.
With passage of a bill in the state Legislature clearing the way, County Commissioner Ann Hildebrand plans to ask fellow commissioners next week to create a panel to oversee private water providers in Pasco, namely Aloha Utilities.
"It might smooth some feathers with the local consumer," Hildebrand said Tuesday. "Lots of times people call in and complain about quality of water and services and we feel sort of empty handed when we say, "Well, they are regulated by the Public Service Commission in Tallahassee.' "
House Bill 987 passed in the final days of the legislative session and was championed by State Rep. Tom Anderson, R-Dunedin, and State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey. It still awaits approval, or veto, by Gov. Jeb Bush.
Hildebrand will raise the issue at the May 11 County Commission meeting. The panel would exist for a year as a pilot program, though Fasano said he would seek to make it permanent.
Aloha is not named in the bill but clearly is its target. The bill references black water, rotten-egg odors and poor customer service - all complaints raised against the utility, which serves about 15,000 customers in Seven Springs, Trinity and elsewhere in southwest Pasco.
Though the PSC still would continue to regulate private utilities in Pasco, the local board is envisioned as a more direct way for customers to lodge concerns. The committee, with the clout of the County Commission behind it, could then seek change through the PSC.
The committee could also recommend the county commission establish "local technological standards" to address discolored and foul-smelling water. The standards, however, could not conflict with or exceed those imposed by state regulators.
"We think a little local oversight is exactly what Aloha needs," said Wayne Forehand, head of the Aloha Citizens Advisory Committee. "The advisory committee was created by order of the PSC, but members say Aloha has always not been cooperative."
The new committee would include the chairman of the County Commission, representatives from the utility, a county health official and independent water experts.
Aloha has said the committee would add a dual layer of scrutiny, based on subjective standards, since it already answers to the PSC. Aloha president Stephen Watford on Tuesday noted the utility already has been shown to meet water quality standards, including in a recent independent audit.
Aloha attributes black water to copper pipes in customers' homes, but customers say it is the water that causes the pipes to corrode in the first place.
Watford said his company has expressed willingness to upgrade its system but says customers must pay for it. The company has endorsed a hydrogen peroxide oxidation process that could cost $3.5-million to $4-million or more and result in a rate increase of 44 percent.
The Citizens Advisory Committee plans to discuss the proposal at its meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the library meeting room of Trinity College, 2430 Welbilt Blvd., Trinity.