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.
Four Lakes is a small unincorporated community in Spokane County, Washington, United States, just southwest of the city of Spokane, and north of Cheney. Both Interstate 90 and SR 904 run through Four Lakes and the junction of the two is located near the center of town. The unincorporated town is not recognized by the United States Census Bureau.