(A) Any waterworks company or any sewage disposal system company may submit an application to the public utilities commission for an increase or decrease in any rate or charge for, respectively, water or sewage treatment, if both of the following conditions are met:

(1) The water or sewage treatment is provided to the company by either of the following:

(a) A municipal corporation or other local governmental unit of this state whose rates are not subject to regulation by the commission;

(b) Another waterworks company, or another sewage disposal system company, that is a public utility and whose rates for the water, or the sewage treatment, have been approved by the commission pursuant to an application filed under section 4909.18 of the Revised Code.

(2) The change in rate or charge is based solely on a change in the cost to the company of the water or the sewage treatment. Sections 4909.18 and 4909.19 of the Revised Code do not apply to any application filed under this section. An application shall be accompanied by evidence of the new rates and charges charged the company by a provider described in division (A)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.

(B) Pursuant to the filing of an application under division (A) of this section by a waterworks company or a sewage disposal system company, the commission shall approve appropriate revisions in the schedule of the company filed under section 4905.30 of the Revised Code, which revisions shall reflect solely the change in the cost to the company of the water or the sewage treatment, as specified in division (A) of this section and no other cost, charge, or item, and shall not change the distribution of the revenue responsibility of the various classes of the company's customers.

(C) An increase authorized pursuant to division (B) of this section shall not be effective until forty-five days after the date the waterworks company or the sewage disposal system company has provided affected customers with notification of the increase, in such form and by such method as the commission shall prescribe.

Effective Date: 11-07-2003 .