ALPHA-TALBOTT UTILITY DISTRICT
ADJUSTMENTS TO BILLS/LEAK ADJUSTMENTS POLICY
It is accepted District practice in the United States that the customer is responsible for utility service on
the customer's
side of the meter. This includes leakage. A customer seeking a leak adjustment
also realize that the water he or she does not pay for will be paid for by other customers.
should
The
District is subject to various State and Federal regulations and has no discretion to adjust bills in a
manner which would violate these regulations.
1.
The need to adjust a utility bill may be evident by a customer complaint of excessive billing or
evidence of leakage on the customer's side of the meter.
2.
It is the customer's responsibility
to keep his or her plumbing system in good working order.
3.
All requests shall be made in writing addressed to the Board of Commissioners. Request must be
received prior to each Board meeting set at the first of each month.
4.
No customer shall receive more than one leak adjustment
during any twelve (12) month period.
5.
The Utility will first determine that the meter was properly read. If an investigation
of the meter
and meter records establishes that the meter was misread, a new bill amount will be issued
calculated on the correct reading. If there was failure of utility equipment,
a bill will be
calculated on the average usage for three (3) months and the customer notified of the new bill
amount.
6. If an investigation of the meter and meter record establishes that the meter was properly read
and there was no failure of utility equipment,
the bill will remain valid and payable.
7.
If the customer questions the accuracy of the meter, they may pay a $25.00 testing fee to have
the meter checked for accuracy. The Utility will remove the meter and have a recognized meter
testing company test the meter. The Utility will pay all cost associated with testing of the meter.
If the meter proves to be accurate within the guidelines established for used meters by the
American Water Works Association (AWWA) it is deemed to be accurate.
If the meter tests
accurate, the customer forfeits the meter testing fee. If the meter does not meet AWWA
accuracy standards, the Utility will refund the meter testing fee and adjust the customer's
bill
accordingly.
8.
Our calculation and formula as follows:
(a) the average usage for the customer is calculated by
dividing the total usage for the months of the current year by the total number of months of
available service. (b) The result of (a) above is subtracted from the total of the leak usage as
determined
by the history for the customer account. The result acquired here represents the
total leak amount to be considered for an adjustment.
customer is calculated.
(c) The amount for an average bill for the
This is done before tax. (ex: Sayan average bill usage is 2.0 gallons. The
average bill for this would be $16.00 before tax.) (d) The leak usage that is calculated in (b)
above is translated
thousand.
into dollars by multiplying
the total gallons in thousands by $1.60 per
The $1.60 is the amount the utility district pays for water.
(ex: Say the leak amount
of 20.0 thousand gallons. The dollar amount would be $64.00.) (e) The amount in (c) and (d)
above are added together. (ex: $16.00 plus $64.00 = $80.00.) (f) The result in (e) above is
multiplied
by 1.25% to get customer cost of the water lost in the leak. (ex: $100.00)
result in (f) above is then multiplied
$100.00 x 1.0975
= $109.75)
by 109.75 to get the taxes added in the amount.
(g) The
(ex:
(h) The result in (g) above is then subtracted from the total dollar
amount for the leak that was billed to the customer.
The remainder is considered the amount
to adjust off the customer's bill. (i) The adjustment
is entered on the computer as a credit to
the customer's account. The balance ofthe
No adjustment
leak amount is to be paid by the customer.
on facility fee. Bill must be $100.00 more than the average. Adjustment
will
only be made over a two month period.
9.
To be adjusted the leak must not be readily evident to a reasonable person, such as leaks
underground,
within walls, or under floors, or the leak must occur while occupants are away
from the premises.
10. Adjustments
on water bills will not be made on the following:
a.
Routine dripping faucets or any type of faulty customer plumbing.
b.
Premises left or abandoned without reasonable care for the plumbing system.
c.
More than one occurrence per (12) twelve months.
d.
Filling of swimming pools.
e.
Watering of lawns or gardens.
f.
Sprinkler taps
11. The Utility shall not be obligated to make adjustments of any bills not contested within (60)
sixty days from the billing date.
12. Customer is required to pay half of the bill (50%) in question during the adjustment
process.
13. Customer must present the Utility proof that a leak has been repaired before an adjustment
will
be made (i.e., copy of invoice for materials or bill from plumber)
14. In any case where a customer might incur a leak before there is three (3) months of average
usage, an adjustment
will not be made until they have established three (3) months of average
use. The customer will be required to pay (50%) of the leak bill until an adjustment
can be
calculated plus each month's current bill.
15. The Manager or designee shall keep a written
record of the customer's billing adjustments
the actions of the Board of Commissioners regarding adjustments.
a timely manner on any adjustment
given to said such customer.
approved by the Board of Commissioners of Alpha-Talbott
ADOPTION
DATE:
_
EFFECTIVE DATE:,
_
PRESIDENT:
SECRETARY:,
COMMISSIONER:,
_
_
_
Utility.
and
Customer shall be notified in
All leak adjustments
must be