Aqua America, Inc. Q1 2009 Earnings Call Transcript

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2009-05-06 13:20:29.0

Tags: Division, Call Transcript, Tariff, Earnings, Aqua America Inc., Free Trade, Finance, Seeking Alpha

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

Thank you, sir. (Operator instructions). We have Jim Lykins with Hilliard Lyons. Please go ahead.

Jim LykinsHilliard Lyons

Good morning, everyone and congrats on the quarter.

Nicholas DeBenedictis

Thanks Jim.

Jim LykinsHilliard Lyons

A couple of regulatory questions first. You mentioned that you have the consolidation of same rate structures in Florida, North Carolina and I’m wondering in those states if you now have the single tariff pricing or if there is still little bit of work to be done there?

Nicholas DeBenedictis

Not yet, but getting closer. In North Carolina, there were one or two outliers whose rates were so low, they felt to put it into a consolidated rate, the timing wasn’t right. So, I think we went from many rate divisions to maybe five. Two big ones, which are Statewide Water and Statewide Wastewater. And then we have a FAS bill which is our Brookwood division which we run from two to one and that’s only water and that’s not a separate rate structure. And then there are two either water or wastewater divisions on the coast which have the seasonal aspect and they wanted to keep those as separate, but didn’t say we couldn’t try it in our next filing put it all together.

James LykinsHilliard Lyons

Okay.

Nicholas DeBenedictis

Florida, we started with 80 divisions. And I think we ended with 7 or 8.

Jim LykinsHilliard Lyons

Well.

Nicholas DeBenedictis

So I mean a big step and I think regulators understand, both for workload, you have to have different accounts for each of these divisions. The smallest of our industry which means you are overwhelming; the rate meter has separate divisions with administrative process which don’t help anybody, the company, their related customers. And the best is if the US postal service is trying to say how much it would cost to deliver a piece of mail from New York to Philadelphia versus New York to Frankfurt Kentucky, the price would definitely be different. You have different rate structures and different tariffs and it just doesn't work that way. So, if the consolidated tariff is the common theme for electric companies, postal service and I think we're getting there in all our states.

Jim LykinsHilliard Lyons

Are there any others that are an (inaudible) to try and get the single tariff pricing?

Nicholas DeBenedictis

 

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