Senate Bill No. 86
(By Senator Manchin)
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[Introduced February 19, 1993; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend chapter twenty-four of the code of West Virginia,
one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding
thereto a new article, designated article two-e, relating to
the public service commission; and providing a reduced water
rate incentive for installation of fire sprinkler systems in
certain residential homes.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That chapter twenty-four of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by
adding thereto a new article, designated article two-e, to read
as follows:
ARTICLE 2E. RESIDENTIAL FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM INCENTIVES.
§24-2E-1. Legislative findings.
The Legislature finds that residential fire sprinkler
systems extinguish or control the spread of fire, save lives, and
conserve the use of water. Accordingly, the Legislature finds
that it is in the public interest to have the public servicecommission ensure that the rates charged for water service
provide an incentive for the installation of residential fire
sprinkler systems.
§24-2E-2. Incentive for installation of fire sprinkler systems
in residential buildings.
(a) For purposes of this section, "residential fire
sprinkler system" means an integrated system of piping connected
to a general water supply, with listed residential sprinklers
that will automatically initiate water discharge over a fire area
and "residence" means one and two family dwellings and buildings
for residential occupancy up to and including four stories in
height.
The public service commission shall ensure that residences
using a five-eighths inch, three-quarter inch or one inch meter
for general water service, due to the installation of a
residential fire sprinkler system, may be required to pay a
minimum monthly water and sewer service rate no greater than the
service rate required for a five-eighths inch meter service.
This limitation does not apply to the installation of irrigation
or lawn sprinkler systems.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide an incentive
to people to install residential fire sprinkler systems by
requiring the Public Service Commission to ensure that people who
install residential fire sprinkler systems receive the lowest
water rate for water service.
This article is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.