Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures in the fourth quarter of 2021 were $2.2 million compared to $4.9 million in
the fourth quarter of 2020. For the year 2021, capital expenditures were $8.7 million as
compared to $10.7 million in 2020.
The major expenditures for 2021 were as follows:
Kessler Farm Tank Replacement $3.967,000
Coburn Woods Main Replacements $653,000
Merrimack River Pumping Station $270,000
Locke Lake Surface Water Treatment $253,000
Rate Cases
Pennichuck Water Works — On October 21, 2021, Pennichuck Water Works filed an emergency
tariff sheet request for approval with the NHPUC. The Company’s emergency tariff filing was on
behalf of a single customer, the Merrimack Village District (MVD), and would allow this
customer to purchase bulk water at Pennichuck Water Works’ variable cost of production. The
initial rate to be billed will be $0.67 per cubic feet. This would allow MVD access to Pennichuck
Water Works’ bulk water supply in late 2021 and during 2022, while MVD’s water supply
systems are brought into compliance with water quality regulations for PFAS contaminants.
On November 12, 2021, the NHPUC issued Order No. 26,552, with an effective date of
November 20, 2021, approving Pennichuck Water Works’ request for an emergency tariff filing
on behalf of a single customer, the MVD. This emergency tariff is on a temporary basis and
must not exceed a term longer than six months from the effective date. In conjunction with this,
Pennichuck Water Works also opened a docket under DW 21-134 for the approval of a special
contract for these emergency rates, in order to bring those rates into full force and effect
(preceding and succeeding the emergency rate tariff), upon approval, for the time period from
which the emergency usage of this water was initiated on October 20, 2021, for a period not to
exceed a termination date of December 31, 2022.
Pennichuck East Utility - On November 24, 2020, Pennichuck East Utility filed a request with
the NHPUC for a rate increase of 21.05% over its current rates for the test year 2019, effective
December 24, 2020, for which 15.0% of this increase request was related to a request for a
temporary rate increase effective for services rendered on or after December 24, 2020. The
15.0% temporary rate increase would be inclusive of a 2.98% QCPAC surcharge which was
approved on December 6, 2019 in Order No. 26,313 and a 1.97% QCPAC surcharge which is
currently pending in DW 20-019. This temporary rate increase request was approved on
August 16, 2021, with Order No. 26,508, at a rate of 14.03%.
On February 18, 2022, the NHPUC issued Order No. 26,586 approving a permanent rate increase of
16.79%, becoming effective with services rendered as of December 24, 2020 for its customers. The
implementation of this permanent rate increase has not yet gone effective, as the Company is seeking
final approval of its recoupment calculations for the rate increase, with the Commission.
Pittsfield Aqueduct —On November 16, 2020, Pittsfield Aqueduct filed a request with the
NHPUC for a rate increase of 11.18% over its current rates for the test year 2019, effective
