About Newport Water

The original water works in Newport started in 1876. The Newport Water Works Company was incorporated in 1881, and was succeeded by the Newport Water Corporation in 1929. Since 1936, the City of Newport has owned and operated the system. The City's legal authority to own and operate the system is stated in the City Charter and was established through RIGL 46-13-12.1.

The Newport Water Division is a division of the City of Newport's Department of Utilities and is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the system. The NWD operates as an enterprise fund and is responsible for its own financial accounting independent of the overall City budget. Newport Water is regulated by the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission.

Newport Water draws its water supply from nine surface reservoirs. The raw water is treated at one of the two water treatment facilities - Station 1 Plant in Newport or Lawton Valley Plant in Portsmouth. Newport Water maintains a distribution system which services Newport, Middletown and a small section of Portsmouth. In addition, Newport Water provides water wholesale to the Portsmouth Water & Fire District and Naval Station Newport.

Newport Water is required to conform with all requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Rhode Island Department of Health and the USEPA ensure that we comply with the SDWA so that the water we supply is safe. We at Newport Water work around the clock to provide top quality drinking water to our customers.

Cost of Service Filing- Docket # 4128

On November 2, 2009 the Newport Water Division filed with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (RIPUC) an application to change the existing rates charged to each of our customer classes through the filing of a Cost of Service Study. The application does not seek an increase in the operating revenue for the Newport Water Division.

The impact of Newport's request will vary based on customer classification. For a typical residential customer who uses 60,000 gallons of water per year, the impact of the requested rate will result in a decrease of $18.20 per year or a 4.8% decrease.

The current water rates were established per the order for Docket #4025 effective July 1, 2009. The current residential rate for water is $5.25 per 1000 gallons and the requested residential rate is $4.80 per 1000 gallons or a 9% decrease. The Cost of Service Study also recommends a new commercial rate and changes in the billing charge for monthly and quarterly accounts.

While the proposed rates are requested to be effective beginning December 2, 2009, RIPUC can suspend rates up to nine months from the proposed effective date. No rate change will take effect until the RIPUC has conducted a full investigation and hearings on the proposal. The RIPUC will publish a notice of the hearing dates when they are scheduled. Rate payers may comment on the proposed rate changes at that time.

The following links provide the official notice of the filing and the documents filed with the RIPUC to support our application.

The Newport Water Division works very hard to provide a safe and sufficient water supply to all our customers. We are aware that any change in rates is a concern to our customers. However, the Newport Water Division requests the rate change in order to assure that the rates accurately recover costs from each customer class based on the demand characteristics of each customer class.

General Water Rate Filing- Docket # 4025

On December 9, 2008 the Newport Water Division filed with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (RIPUC) an application to increase rates charged to our customers. The Water Division requested a 28.8% increase in rates. The evidentiary hearing was held on May 27, 2009 before the Commission of Public Utilities and Carriers on the request.

On June 25, 2009 the PUC issued its decision on the Water Division's application for a rate increase. The PUC's decision, effective July 1, 2009, allows for a 15.6% increase in rates. The result of this increase is that Newport water's retail rate of $4.54 per 1000 gallons increased to $5.25 per 1000 gallons.

The Newport Water Division works very hard to provide a safe and sufficient water supply to all our customers. We are aware that any rate increase is a concern to our customers. However, the Newport Water Division requests the rate increase in order to continue our work with ongoing system maintenance and capital improvements so that we can assure a safe drinking water supply not only now but into the future.

The following links provide Newport Water's current Rate Schedule and information filed with the PUC.

Rate Schedule- Effective July 1, 2009

Docket No. 4025 - City of Newport Water Division