ALJ/JCM-POD/sid

PRESIDING OFFICER'S DECISION (Mailed 1/5/2001)

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Mark III Engineering Contractors, Complainant, vs. Southern California Water Company; Arden-Cordova Water Company; and Citizens Utilities Company of California, Respondents.

Case 00-06-012 (Filed June 7, 2000)

John Hedden, Attorney at Law, and Gary Brienza, for Mark III Engineering Contractors, complainant.

Patricia A. Schmiege, Attorney at Law, Barbara Baird, and William C. Gedney, for Southern California Water Company, and E. Garth Black, Attorney at Law, and Robert S. Roscoe, for Citizens Utilities Company of California, defendants.

O P I N I ON

Summary

This decision requires Southern California Water Company (SoCal Water) and Citizens Utilities Company of California (Citizens) (jointly, Defendants) to cease their practice of routinely requiring Mark III Engineering Contractors (Mark III) to include backflow protection devices at all new water service connections for Class 1 and Class 2 fire protection systems on all projects planned by Mark III in Defendants' service territories. Defendants may still require backflow prevention devices where conditions warrant, but only after evaluating the specific circumstances applying to each proposed service connection.