Whenever a water corporation files with the commission, pursuant to an advice letter submitted in accordance with commission procedures for this means of submission, a schedule stating rates, classifications, contracts, practices, or rules for the service of recycled water, the policies and standards for which are provided for in Article 7 (commencing with Section 13550) of Chapter 7 of Division 7 of the Water Code, the commission shall observe the following procedures:
(a) Unless the commission determines, pursuant to subdivision (b), that the schedule filed by a water corporation for the service of recycled water is not justified or, pursuant to subdivision (d), any other party protests in writing the filing of the schedule, the schedule shall become effective upon the expiration of 40 days from the time of filing thereof.
(b) Notwithstanding the filing of notice of changes or amendments as provided in subdivision (c) or a protest as provided in subdivision (d), the schedule as filed shall become effective on an interim basis upon the expiration of 30 days from the time of filing thereof, subject to refund of any amount of the rate subsequently found by the commission to be in excess of a just and reasonable rate.
(c) If, upon its own initiative, the commission, acting through the staff organization with responsibility for reviewing advice letter filings, determines that the schedule filed by a water corporation for the service of recycled water is not justified, it shall notify the water corporation of the determination in writing within 40 days from the time of filing of the schedule and shall state in the notice all changes or amendments to the schedule that are required to make it just and reasonable. Upon the refiling by the water corporation within 10 days of the receipt of the notice of a revised schedule incorporating all changes and amendments specified by the commission, the revised schedule shall become effective on an interim basis subject to refund upon the expiration of five days from the time of the refiling thereof, and shall become final upon formal commission action approving the schedule, as revised.
(d) If any other party, including the commission organization or division created pursuant to Section 309.5, protests in writing the schedule filed by a water corporation for the service of recycled water, the commission shall set the matter for a hearing on the protest to be held within a reasonable time from the time that the party files its written protest with the commission.
(e) Subdivision (d) of Section 311 shall govern the timing of actions by the commission after the close of the record in any proceeding pursuant to subdivision (d) of this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 130, Sec. 219.5. Effective January 1, 2008.)