March 1, 2010
Contact Information: Percy Ashcraft, County Administrator Office: (804)633-5380 or E-Mail PRESS RELEASE On March 1, 2010, the State Corporation Commission requested that Caroline County continue to provide drinking water to Ladysmith Water Company for 48 hours until the Commission can decide whether a receiver should be appointed to take control of the Company. The County agreed to continue providing water to the Company and the residents of the Lake Caroline community through Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The County is hopeful that, within that time, the County will be paid for water services provided to the Company by the County. The County has been providing water to the Company since April 2009, however, it has not been paid since September, 2009. The County issued repeated late notices to the Company since that time, but was paid nothing. The County finally issued a “cut-off” notice to the Company on February 22, 2010. On February 26, 2010, Commission staff filed a motion requesting that the Commission require the Company to appear before the Commission to show cause why a receiver should not be appointed to operate the Company, due to the Company’s gross management of its business. The County supported the Commission staff’s motion, and is cooperating with the Commission’s current efforts to ensure that the County is paid for the water that it has provided to the Water Company and can continue to provide water to the residents of Lake Caroline in the future.