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Lake Valley Residents,
As promised, here is the area on our website where we will post whatever information we receive about the status of the requested merger between the Lake Valley WSC and SS WSC. If the PUC approves this application, we look forward to welcoming all of you as new Members!
Thanks, and regards.
v/r,
Carlos
General Manager
Update: 7 July 2021
All,
Lake Valley WSC's Receiver Mr. Don Rauschuber and I, along with our respective counsel, had a meeting with the Attorney General’s (AG) office last week. As a refresher, the AG is representing the State of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in the ongoing legal action that resulted in the Lake Valley system being placed in Receivership. SS Water Supply Corporation and Las Palomas/Lake Valley are working to get the final blessing from the AG’s office for the STM application before the first court hearing about our proposed merger, which is scheduled for 3 August 2021. If all goes well, after that hearing we’ll be able to formally submit the Sale, Transfer and Merger (STM) application to the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) so they can start their vetting/process.
As soon as I get more information, I'll post it. Thanks for your patience, and regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 3 August 2021
All,
Great news! At a (virtual) hearing today, the presiding judge of the 98th District Court in Austin signed off on SS Water's application to merge with the Lake Valley water system! This was the first important step on the way to final approval by the state. The next step is to formally file our application with the Texas Public Utility Commission. We hope to complete that step over the next couple of weeks.
Thanks, and regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 28 October 2021
All,
On 15 October 2021, the Public Utility Commission (PUC) Administrative Law Judge presiding over the Lake Valley/SS Water merger application deemed it to be sufficient and complete as per the recommendation of the PUC staff! What this means is that the application to allow SS Water to become the water provider for the Lake Valley system and adjoining areas is now being officially reviewed, and is one step closer to getting approved! There are still numerous tasks that must be completed before the merger is complete that are above and beyond regulatory approval, but progress is being made. Barring any exigencies, we are expecting a final decision either way sometime in the first quarter of CY2022; however, any timeline either given to or assumed by us is subject to change. Please keep checking back here for the latest updates.
Thanks, and regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 21 December 2021
All,
On 17 December 21, the PUC Staff formally recommended approval of the transfer of Lake Valley WSC to SS Water WSC! Now that we have this approval recommendation from the state, we can begin final sort-throughs of the (still considerable) number of remaining administrative and logistical issues that are part of this transfer. Barring any exigencies, we hope to complete all remaining transfer steps by the end of the 1st Quarter of CY2022.
SS Water will also be hosting a Town Hall meeting once we are very near completion of the transfer. Time and place will be published here and elsewhere, so please stay tuned. Thanks to all for your continued patience.
Regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 11 February 2022
All,
The long road to SS Water's absorption of the Lake Valley water system is just about complete! SS Water and the Lake Valley Receiver are scheduled to formally close on the property formerly owned by the Las Palomas Water Service Company/Lake Valley WSC on 16 February 22. After closing, there are still a number of administrative details both parties must navigate through.
On 25 February 22, 630pm at the Sutherland Springs Community Building, SS Water Supply Corporation will be hosting a Town Hall meeting for all current Lake Valley WSC customers and land owners, and other interested parties. We will be discussing the steps remaining to complete the merger, and how we will be converting all Lake Valley customers into Members of the SS Water Supply Corporation.
Please spread the word, and we look forward to welcoming all of you into SS Water Membership!
Update: 4 March 2022
For existing Lake Valley WSC customers,
SS Water will have extended hours March 28-31 (Monday-Thursday) from 5pm-7pm to accommodate all 235 existing Lake Valley customers only. All current Lake Valley customers will be required to complete a Membership application, pay a $100 Membership fee, and provide us with a copy of the Warranty Deed proving ownership of the tract for which water service will be provided. The Warranty Deed should have been one of the documents provided at closing, or copies of the Warranty Deed can be obtained at the Wilson County Clerk's Office. Renters cannot complete a Membership application, only property owners.
The procedure for those requesting new service will be posted very soon.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 9 March 2022
All,
The existing 235 soon-to-be Members (notice the change!) in Lake Valley will have their March 2022 water bills sent by SS Water. These bills will include a few more days than normal to get y'all in sync with SS Water's billing cycle. March 2022 water bills will be due on 10 May 2022. Please ensure you complete the Membership application with all required paperwork before 31 March 2022 so we know how to contact you and where to send bills to.
SS Water bills one month behind, and normally pulls water reads O/A the 4th of every month. Bills are due on the following month by the 10th. Water shut-off days for non-payment of water bills is on the 23rd of every month. If the 23rd falls on a holiday or weekend, shut-off day will be on the next business day. SS Water will also be billing for sanitary sewer service for those of you receiving service from the sewage treatment plant, so stay tuned for updates on when that will happen; likely for the April 2022 water bill. Once SS Water begins billing for sewer service, the same due date/cut-off day for water service will apply.
For those of you desiring new water service, please email csr@sswater.net with the number of lots you desire new service for, and we will send you the information needed for us to act on this request.
Thanks, and regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 27 April 22
All,
We continue working to build out the infrastructure necessary to ensure that the existing Lake Valley system Members get and continue to receive good water service. Once we secure the easements necessary to lay down the new water mains required for this service, construction will begin soon after.
For those waiting on new service, once we get the existing Lake Valley Members in good water we can then focus on getting new connections in. There are many state and federal requirements that must be met to provide new water service on top of ensuring we don't exceed the number of connections that are allowed on a certain size main, but we are working dilligently to get to where we need to be.
Additionally, starting with the April water bills that are being mailed as we speak, those of you who have sanitary sewer service (no on-site septic system) will see both your water and sanitary sewer service bill combined. To put it another way, SS Water is also billing for sanitary sewer, and you will see both service fees on your water bill.
And lastly, all existing Members of Lake Valley will see a surcharge of $28.36 on your bill starting in April. This is to recover the approximate $560,000 cost that SS Water's current Membership is fronting to build out the distribution system needed to keep y'all in good water. The $28.36 comes from multiplying that times 12, then by 235, then by 7 years; interest free. If the as-built cost is less than the $560K we estimated the surcharge will end sooner once we've recovered that smaller sum. Since we are not asking the existing Lake Valley customers to pay the normal Capital Improvement Fee (CIF) of $3,570 for each new connection to our system to help meet state and federal requirements, we sought and the state approved this $28.36 surcharge to recover just the estimated construction/system improvement cost.
Thanks for your patience as we work to get y'all the improved water service you've been waiting for. Regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 25 May 22
All,
Update on the infrastructure build-out to solidify water service for the existing Lake Valley Members and to begin installation of new service requests for platted lots that existed when we acquired the system. Based on the latest estimate, we look to complete infrastructure improvements no later than 1 October 22. Again, this is an estimate and as such is not set in stone and can slide to the left (sooner) or to the right depending on myriad circumstances.
Thanks, and regards.
v/r,
Carlos
Update: 3 October 22
Great news!! Our crews completed the tie-in to loop the existing 6" main coming down Champions Blvd. to the rest of our system last week. Now that this step is complete, we can now begin working with our system engineer to see how we can get water to all those who have been patiently waiting for new connections. As the engineer completes the reviews, we will reach out using the contact information on each new meter request to let you know what the cost will be to get the number of water connections requested. Our system engineer supports a number of other water systems in addition to ours, so his workload will dictate when those reviews get completed.
Please note that given the prior 30-year history of haphazard development in that area, lots that were platted previously may not have any water infrastructure installed to support those lots. Our crews have discovered at least one instance of this situation, so if additional water infrastructure is needed to get water to your property(ies) - even if the lots are in an existing platted subdivision - you will be informed about that when we contact you with the cost estimate.
Thanks again for your continued patience as we work to improve the service in the Lake Valley area.
v/r,
Carlos
