Public utilities; private sewer or wastewater systems, authorized to come under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission

SB 137 allows privately owned sewer and wastewater systems that are under common ownership with systems already regulated by Alabama's Public Service Commission (PSC) to elect to join the PSC's regulatory jurisdiction. This directly affects affiliated private systems and their customers, as it requires the PSC to combine their capital and operating costs for setting a single, unified rate structure for all customers. The bill includes exceptions for counties with local constitutional amendments regulating wastewater utilities and preserves existing authority like Jefferson County's Board of Health. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies only to systems not prohibited by local constitutional amendments.