DR 98-120
                                
               Pittsfield Aqueduct Company, Inc.
                                
              Request to Implement Monthly Billing
                                
   Order Denying Request For Rehearing Concerning Change From
                  Quarterly to Monthly Billing
                                
                    O R D E R   N O.  23,181
                                
                         March 30, 1999
     
       The Petitioner, Pittsfield Aqueduct Company, Inc.
     (PAC), requested as part of its testimony in support of a 3.89%
     rate reduction that it be allowed to move from quarterly billing
     to monthly billing.  PAC testified that it believed this change
     was in the customers' best interest for budgeting purposes.  That
     is, based on the average customers' bills following the rate
     increase implemented to recover the cost of compliance with the
     Surface Water Treatment Rule of the Safe Drinking Water Act,
     customers would find it easier to pay monthly, smaller sums than
     quarterly, larger sums.
       The Commission found in its Nisi Order No. 23,117,
     dated January, 26, 1999, that the proposed change in billing
     would be in the public interest and approved it subject to any
     further proceeding deemed necessary based on any comments
     received from the public by February 16, 1999.  On February 17,
     1999, and February 25, requests were filed with the Commission,
     one indicating opposition to the proposed change and one urging
     the Commission to reconsider the approval of the proposed monthly
     billing.  
       The deadline for comments was February 16, 1999 and the
     effective date of Commission Order No. 23,117 was February 25,
     1999, which was prior to the receipt of comments on the proposed
     billing change.  Although the requests were filed late, we
     nevertheless will treat the requests as motions for rehearing. 
     Accordingly, we have reviewed the information contained therein
     and find that they do not contain sufficient evidence that would
     warrant a rehearing on the matter or present new information that
     would compel us to rehear the arguments in this matter.   
       Based on the foregoing, it is hereby
       ORDERED, that the request for rehearing is denied; and
     it is  
       FURTHER ORDERED, that the effective date of the monthly
     billing as specified in Commission Order No. 23,117 shall stand
     as ordered.
     
       By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
     Hampshire this thirtieth day of March, 1999.
     
     
                                                                      
           Douglas L. Patch       Susan S. Geiger     Nancy Brockway
               Chairman           Commissioner          Commissioner
     
     
     
     Attested by:
     
     
                                     
     Thomas B. Getz
     Executive Director and Secretary