Water is a valuable public asset which should be available to all, not sold to the highest bidder to exploit for profits.
Introduction
My name is Bill Ferguson. I am one of the co-founders of this website. This part of the website is about my personal experience filing two formal complaints with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) against Aqua Pennsylvania. Since both complaints are mostly my doing, much of what follows is written in the first person.
Summary
This has been a long and difficult journey. It is important to understand my motivation in undertaking this journey. It started with the belief that the first priority of a Public Utility Commission (PUC) should be to protect customers from greedy profit rip-offs by monopoly companies - at the same time balanced with the right of a utility to earn a reasonable profit. My faith in that belief has been substantially diminished. Filing Formal Complaints with the PUC is a lengthy, challenging and intricate legal process. I have learned a lot, but not much that is encouraging.
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Here is a bit more detail on my personal views: LINK
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Both complaints allege misbehavior by Aqua in their 2021 filing for a rate increase. One is about the consumption data Aqua used to set rates for New Garden sewer customers. The whole principle of this complaint is that you cannot set fair and just rates using bad data. The other is about charging those same New Garden customers for a $1.2 million/yr trucking expense that ceased to be incurred well before the rate increase went into effect.
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I filed the complaints 9/18/2022. It is now September 2025. Two years have gone by since the filing and they are still not finally resolved.
Topic Directory
This is not a simple story. The pages that follow start with a summary of the major topics and allow the reader to dive into more detail if he desires.
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#1 - A summary and outline of my experience with the total process: LINK
#2 - Details about Complaint #1 – Aqua’s consumption volumes not reflecting real world use by New Garden customers:The issues are technical but important. LINK
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#3 - Details about Complaint #2 – Aqua charging New Garden customers for a trucking expense it eliminated before the rate increase went into effect. LINK
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#4 - A deeper dive into my experience with the PUC complaint process:
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Overview of the PUC’s complaint process: LINK
A detailed chronological listing of every step in the process. This is not a page you want to read through. But, quickly scanning it can give you a feel of the many steps involved. LINK
#5 - My experience with mediation: LINK
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#6 - The complaint HEARING. This was a major event lasting almost five hours. There are two levels of detail you can look at:
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The summary (item #1 above) has highlights: LINK
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In depth detail: LINK
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#7 - The “Initial Decision” resulting from the hearing and totally rejecting my complaints: LINK
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#8 - My filings to appeal key findings of the “Initial Decision”:
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The filing of “Exceptions”. This is an appeal on the basis that the “Initial Decision” made an error in some aspect of the law. LINK
Petition to reopen discovery for the case. LINK
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Motion to strike part of Aqua’s “Exception Replies” from the record. LINK
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#9 - The Commissioners “Opinion and Order” also totally rejecting my complaints: LINK
#10 - The filing of an appeal to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court: LINK
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#11 - My reflections on filing as a utility customer without a lawyer: LINK
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#12 - Epilogue – a parable illustrating my view of how the PUC adjudicates complaints: LINK