DE 98-087
                                     
                          Manchester Water Works
                                     
            Petition to Extend Service Area in Town of Hooksett
                                     
                       Order NISI Granting Petition
                                     
                         O R D E R   N O.  22,956
                                     
                               June 15, 1998

         The Petitioner, Manchester Water Works (Manchester),
filed with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
(Commission) on May 20, 1998, a petition to extend its existing
service area in the Town of Hooksett, New Hampshire.  Manchester
intends to provide service under its existing tariff for
customers outside its municipal boundaries to an area in Hooksett
containing a total of five lots in the vicinity of Wimbledon
Heights and Morrill Road.
         The Town of Hooksett has provided written support for
the proposed extension.  There is no other water utility service
in the proposed area.  In addition, the Department of
Environmental Services has confirmed the suitability and
availability of Manchester's water supplies.
         Based on the above facts, the Commission finds that
allowing Manchester to extend its service area as requested is in
the public good.
         Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby 
         ORDERED NISI, that Manchester's Petition to Extend
Service Area in the Town of Hooksett is granted; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that Manchester is correspondingly
granted permission pursuant to RSA 374:22 and 26 to extend its
service area into a limited area of Hooksett consisting of Tax
Map 39, Lot 14 and Tax Map 40, Lots 24-1, 24-2, 24-8 and 24-9;
and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that pursuant to N.H. Admin. Rules,
Puc 1604.03 or Puc 1605.03, the Petitioner shall cause a copy of
this Order Nisi to be published once in a statewide newspaper of
general circulation or of circulation in those portions of the
state where operations are conducted, such publication to be no
later than June 22, 1998 and to be documented by affidavit filed
with this office on or before June 29, 1998; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that all persons interested in
responding to this petition be notified that they may submit
their comments or file a written request for a hearing on this
matter before the Commission no later than July 6, 1998; and it
is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that any party interested in
responding to such comments or request for hearing shall do so no
later than July 13, 1998; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that this Order Nisi shall be
effective July 15, 1998, unless the Commission provides 
otherwise in a supplemental order issued prior to the effective
date.
         By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this fifteenth day of June, 1998.


                                                                               
                Douglas L. Patch     Bruce B. Ellsworth      Susan S. Geiger
                    Chairman            Commissioner           Commissioner

Attested by:



                                 
Thomas B. Getz
Executive Director and Secretary