DR 97-188
                                     
                     LAKES REGION WATER COMPANY, INC.
                                     
              Order Suspending Proposed Tariff Revisions and
                     Scheduling Prehearing Conference 
                                     
                         O R D E R   N O.  22,835
                                     
                             January 12, 1998
                                     
         On December 17, 1997, Lakes Region Water Company, Inc.
     (Lakes Region) filed with the Commission a rate filing seeking a
     rate increase of 20% which constitutes an increase in revenues of
     $66,000.  Lakes Region had previously filed, on September 15,
     1997, a Notice of Intent to File Rate Schedules pursuant to Puc
     1603.07.  However, Lakes Region did not file its proposed rate
     schedules within the required sixty days and the notice expired. 
     Subsequently, Lakes Region submitted, on November 19, 1997, a
     request for an extension of time to file rate schedules.  The
     request was denied on December 9, 1997 because Lakes Region
     failed to provide any basis for granting the extension.  Lakes
     Region nevertheless filed rate schedules on December 17, 1997 and
     asked that the Commission accept the filing without requiring an
     additional 30-day notice period.
         The filing raises, inter alia, issues regarding whether
     the requirement of a new Notice of Intent to File Rate Schedules
     should be waived and the reasonableness of the proposed rate
     increase including plant additions, operation and maintenance,
     and rate of return.
         Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
               ORDERED, that the proposed tariff pages of Lakes
     Region's NHPUC tariff No. 4 be and hereby are suspended; and it
     is  
         FURTHERED ORDERED, that a Prehearing Conference,
     pursuant to N.H. Admin. Rules Puc 203.05, be held before the
     Commission located at 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord, New Hampshire
     on February 2, 1998 at 1:00 p.m., at which any one or more of the
     issues set forth in N.H. Admin Rule Puc 203.05(c) shall be
     considered; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, the prehearing conference shall be
     tape recorded unless a party, at least 5 days in advance of the
     prehearing conference, requests a transcript, in which case the
     commission shall order a stenographic record, pursuant to N.H.
     Admin. Rule Puc 203.05(d): and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that pursuant to N.H. Admin. Rules Puc
     203.01, Lakes Region notify all persons desiring to be heard at
     this hearing by publishing a copy of this Order of Notice no
     later than January 19, 1998, in a newspaper with statewide
     circulation and of general circulation in that portion of the
     state in which operations are conducted, publication to be
     documented by affidavit filed with the Commission on or before
     February 2, 1998; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that pursuant to N.H. Admin. Rules Puc
     203.02, any party seeking to intervene in the proceeding shall
     submit to the Commission an original and eight copies of a
     Petition to Intervene with copies sent to Lakes Region and the
     Office of the Consumer Advocate on or before January 28, 1998,
     such Petition stating the facts demonstrating how its rights,
     duties, privileges, immunities or other substantial interests may
     be affected by the proceeding, as required by N.H. Admin. Rule
     Puc 203.02 and RSA 541-A:32,I(b); and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that any party objecting to a Petition
     to Intervene make said Objection on or before February 2, 1998.
         By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
     Hampshire this twelfth day of January 1998.
     
     
     
                                                                    
       Douglas L. Patch      Bruce B. Ellsworth     Susan S. Geiger
           Chairman             Commissioner          Commissioner
     
     
     
     Attested by:
     
     
                                    
     Thomas B. Getz
     Executive Director and Secretary