The PUB has decided to provide "oversight" of the Pembina Valley Water Co-op. That means it will require public hearings on all rate increase and expansion efforts, like the co-op's recent application to pipe water from a Sandilands aquifer.

Co-op members point out they must answer to the 18 councils of the 18 municipalities in the co-op on all decisions. "That's much more scrutiny than PUB and we can make things run much more efficiently than through PUB," [Herm Martens] said.