Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
The Town of Manassa is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Conejos County, Colorado, United States. With a population of 1,042 at the 2000 census, Manassa is the largest community in Conejos County. This small town, surrounded by farms and ranches, is exactly one square mile in size, with a small amount of residential development on its outskirts. A mostly agricultural community, there are few business establishments in the town. A small-town feel abounds with no traffic control signals or stop lights. The U.S. Post Office zip code for Manassa is 81141, and the area code is (719).