(1) The following general rules shall be effective for all privately owned water utilities subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission. For the purposes of these rules, where the term "utility" is used, it shall mean privately owned water utilities, and where the term "Commission" is used, it shall mean the Montana Public Service Commission. 

(2) Certain of the following general rules allow a utility to adopt, subject to the approval of the Commission, special rules to fit the utility's local conditions. If a utility adopts any special rules, and an apparent conflict arises between the special rules and these general rules, the general rules shall govern.