§ 89-c. General powers of commission in respect to water supply. The\ncommission: 1. Shall have general supervision of all water-works\ncorporations, as hereinbefore defined, having authority under any\ngeneral or special law or under any charter or franchise to lay down,\nconstruct or maintain pipes, conduits, ducts or other fixtures in, on or\nunder the streets, highways and public places of any municipality, for\nthe purpose of furnishing or distributing water for domestic, commercial\nor public uses, and all water systems owned, leased or operated by any\nsuch water-works corporation; provided, however, that nothing herein\ncontained shall be construed to delegate the general powers of the state\ndepartment of health or of the water power and control commission or any\nof the powers and functions of either as provided by law, nor shall\nanything herein contained be construed to impair nor to deprive such\ndepartment or commission of its powers and functions as now provided by\nlaw.\n 2. Shall have power of its own motion to examine and investigate the\nmethods employed by water-works corporations in delivering and supplying\nwater and furnishing equipment, and shall have access through its\nmembers or through an officer or employee specially authorized by it to\nmake such examinations and investigations to all parts of the systems\nowned, used or operated for the distribution of water by any such\ncorporation.\n 3. Shall have power, in its discretion, to prescribe uniform methods\nof keeping accounts, records and books to be observed by water-works\ncorporations. It may also, in its discretion, prescribe by order forms\nof accounts, records and memoranda to be kept by such corporations.\nNotice of alterations by the commission in the required method or form\nof keeping a system of accounts shall be given to such corporations by\nthe commission at least six months before the same shall take effect.\nAny other and additional forms of accounts, records and memoranda kept\nby such corporations shall be subject to examination by the commission.\n 4. Shall have power to examine all water-works corporations and keep\ninformed as to the methods, practices, regulations and property employed\nby them in the transaction of their business. Whenever the commission\nshall be of the opinion, after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon\ncomplaint, that the rates, charges or classifications or the acts or\nregulations of any such corporation are unjust, unreasonable, unjustly\ndiscriminatory, or unduly preferential, or in any wise in violation of\nany provision of law, the commission shall determine and prescribe in\nthe manner provided by and subject to the provisions of section\neighty-nine-j of this chapter, the just and reasonable rates, charges\nand classifications thereafter to be enforced for the service to be\nrendered, notwithstanding that a different rate or charge has heretofore\nbeen prescribed by general or special statute, contract, grant,\nfranchise, condition, consent or other agreement, and the just and\nreasonable acts and regulations to be done and observed; and whenever\nthe commission shall be of opinion, after a hearing had upon its own\nmotion or upon complaint, that the property, equipment or appliances of\nany such corporation are unsafe, inefficient or inadequate, the\ncommission shall determine and prescribe the safe, efficient and\nadequate property, equipment and appliances thereafter to be used,\nmaintained and operated for the security and accommodation of the public\nand in compliance with the provisions of law and of their franchises and\ncharters; provided, however, that in its determination and prescription\nof safe, efficient and adequate property, equipment and appliances as\nherein provided any such property, equipment and appliances theretofore\napproved by the water power and control commission, or its predecessor,\nshall be deemed to have been adequate, safe and efficient at the time of\nsuch
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