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Commission awards Bent Creek CPCN for Heatherwood area and approves system-wide rate changes
Summary
The commission canceled Heatherwood Utilities’ certificate, awarded the CPCN to Bent Creek, and approved Bent Creek’s consolidated rate filings to stabilize service for Heatherwood and West Haven customers while authorizing infrastructure work and notifying staff to require completed plans before construction.
The Public Service Commission approved a series of water and sewer actions that transfer responsibility for troubled Heatherwood-area customers to Bent Creek Utility LLC and authorize rate changes aimed at stabilizing service.
Mister Rhodes told the commission Bent Creek petitioned to cancel Heatherwood Utilities LLC’s certificate after Heatherwood abandoned operations and was administratively dissolved in January 2024. Staff said the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality flagged multiple quality and service complaints in the Heatherwood subdivision and that Bent Creek had acquired the assets via state tax-forfeiture transfer and the county clerk’s records.
Staff recommended cancelling Heatherwood’s certificate, awarding the certificate to Bent Creek, and approving Bent Creek’s proposed changes in sewer rates. Rhodes said Bent Creek intends to undertake infrastructure work — replacement of aerators, overhauls of lift stations, new relief mains and repair of absorption fields — and that the company was negotiating treatment options with the city of Hattiesburg.
Rhodes provided customer counts: approximately 36 customers in Heatherwood and about 57 in West Haven affected by the CPCN transfer; the Bent Creek system overall was described as serving roughly 850 customers. Bent Creek proposed consolidating multiple rate classes into a single flat rate; after staff review, the commission approved a $38 flat rate as part of the filing that staff said would allow investments to stabilize the system.
Commissioners asked how abandoned systems are policed and whether prior owners had filed rates; staff said regulators typically learn of abandoned systems through environmental quality and health agencies and that Heatherwood had never filed rates to the commission. Commissioner Carr praised the local operator’s responsiveness to emergencies and noted the company’s planned capital investments.
The commission approved the recommended cancellations, CPCN award to Bent Creek, and the rate filings by voice votes. Commissioners and staff noted the approvals would likely bring short-term rate consolidation and require follow-up as infrastructure work proceeds.
Why it matters: Customers in Heatherwood and West Haven who previously lacked a reliable operator will be served by a new owner that intends infrastructure fixes; however, the change includes significant rate restructuring for customers already on the Bent Creek system.
Next steps: Bent Creek must file completed plans and proceed with the infrastructure work; staff will monitor implementation and ensure proper filings before construction begins.
