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RE: Sewer and Water Billing Practices

kceby — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 09:05:40 GMT

Thanks for all your input. All comments will be considered when regs are updated.

RE: Sewer and Water Billing Practices

Dvant — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:04:23 GMT

Empty lot with service.

Start charging them when they pull a building permit. If there was a house on the lot, charge them until they disconnect or prove they have capped the service.

There should be a fixed maintenance cost for every structure connected to the sewer. I don't think every house should have to pay the same. There is a difference between a one bedroom shack and Bill Gates house, even though they both are single family dwellings. A fixture count or bedroom count can be used to adjust the rates. Even if the big house is empty it has the potential to cause a greater impact on the system and should pay more.

I think a transmission charge needs to be applied to big lot subdivisions. In the old town I have 12 houses paying to clean 300' of sewer. In the new subdivisions there might be two houses per 300'. It cost me the same $1.00 per foot to clean the lines.

Oh well,

Mark

RE: Sewer and Water Billing Practices

kceby — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:15:04 GMT

I appreciate your comments. I am in the process of revising our Rule and Regs and this will be clarified in them. Gravity customers would have to physically disconnect from the sewer to avoid a monthly bill. As for the customers on our water system or STEP (Septic Tank Effluent Pumping) system they could be accommodated by shutting water off do disabling their tank, of course for a small service fee.

Do you have any type of policy in regards to an empty lot currently on the system?

Thanks

RE: Sewer and Water Billing Practices

Rotifer — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:35:04 GMT

We only provide sewer service but have received the same type of complaints. In the past we permitted residence to call in and request there service to be terminated because a rental property is empty or maybe they have gone south for the winter and the residence is empty. The problem was they never call back when the property is rented again or when they have returned from the south over the winter. So our policy now is that they have to pay the service fee each month and can only get out of it by making a physical disconnection. If they do that then they are required to pay an inspection fee to disconnect and one to reconnect. Its a little like your phone or television service. Even though you may not make a phone call for weeks or months or never turn your television on one month to the next you still pay that service fee each month. Like them we are providing a service and by doing so we have expenses for labor, utilities, maintenance, bond payments for money borrowed to build the infrastructure to that property and etc.

RE: Sewer and Water Billing Practices

kceby — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:22:35 GMT

Amen to that! This is what we do currently, flat rate billing. So until things change we will just have to continue on. I guess if people want to "Sue" us over it we have ground to stand on.
Thanks!

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RE: Sewer and Water Billing Practices

Bill Gaines — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:11:43 GMT

Who said that life is fair? Barring data you have no method to equitably allocate costs for all cases. Interestingly, I live in a subdivision where we each have private wells and a gravity sewer connection to the POTW. The only method they have is to assume an average discharge and to assess us a flat monthly fee. I accept that (but you'll never please everyone!).

Sewer and Water Billing Practices

kceby — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:46:50 GMT

Hello,

I am a 6117 water and sewer district. Some customers have both water and sewer services. Some customers only have water. Some customers only have sewer. Some customers are on gravity and some are on STEP. Wow, what a mess!! Here lies the problem. I get tons of complaints from customers that we are unfair in billing them for monthly sewer if no one lives in the home or the water is shut off, ect. With our variations in types of service it is impossible to treat all customers "equal" in stopping a monthly sewer bill. The customers that are on the water system or STEP system can be easily policed but hte ones on gravity and private well cannot!! Any suggestions to create a policy for all customers would be great!!!
ThANKS txtPost_CommentEmoticon('');