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.
Pascoag (pronounced Pas-coag) is a census-designated place (CDP) and village in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 4,742 at the 2000 census. Pascoag is one of at least eight villages that make up Burrillville. It can trace its origins back to the first half of the 18th century, when a saw mill and other businesses were built in what is now the village center. In the 19th century, Pascoag became a textile manufacturing town, an industry that continued until after World War II. Recent history includes an incident involving groundwater contamination. A test of the groundwater conducted on September 14, 2001 showed that the water contained the ether MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) at levels of about 600 ppb (Parts Per Billion). This was the first public statement concerning the presence of MTBE in Pascoag drinking water, though residents claim to have detected it as early as May, 2001. MTBE is a gasoline additive intended to enhance octane levels. It is believed to have come from leaking tanks at a local Exxon Mobil gas station. As the situation was resolved over the following months, nearly 1,500 residents of Pascoag responded by filing a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil through the law offices of Napoli, Kaiser, and Bern. The lawsuit is pending as of May 2, 2005. Official documents regarding the incident are archived at the Pascoag Utility District Homepage. External Links: History of Pascoag (pdf) Pascoag Utility District Homepage