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HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM IV-BInteroffice Memorandum WASHINGTON To: Public Works Committee From: Shelley Coleman CC: Date: May 16, 2011 Re: Utility Service Water Leak Adjustment - Sewer Portion The Utility Service Water Leak Adjustment policy 100-52 currently allows for adjustment of the City and Metro sewer portion of the disputed billing when the leak occurred in the service line between the city water meter and the point where the line enters the building. The issue is when the break occurs elsewhere and the water does not go down the sewer and the adjustment in total is denied because it did not occur in the service line. Customers are challenging the sewer portion of the billing where the water did not go down the sewer. The concern is that when the leak occurs elsewhere, the proof that the water did not go down the sewer is most of the time limited to an inspection by a City water technician who inspects that the leak has been repaired and appears to have occurred where the client indicates it was repaired. The repairs are generally complete and not visible to the technician who determines, via the meter dial, that the leak is repaired but cannot confirm the leak occurred where the customers said it happened. I would like to suggest that when the leak does not occur in the service line and the City water technician can determine that there was a leak, the leak was repaired and that the water did not go down the sewer that we adjust the City and Metro sewer portion of the billing. See attached Administrative Policy and Procedure 100-52. Suggested revision is section 4.3.1 Attachment AUBURN * MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY AND PROCEDURE TITLE: SUBJECT: UTILITY BILLING & COLLECTION UTILITY SERVICE WATER LEAK ADJUSTMENT INDEX NUMBER: 100-52 EFFECTIVE DATE SUPERSEDES PAGE PREPARED BY: MAYOR'S APPROVAL 10/09/09 02/17/07 1 OF 2 SHELLEY COLEMAN 1.0 PURPOSE To provide a procedure for approval, calculation and adjustment of water and sewer charges (Single Family & Non-single family account classifications) where excessive water consumption can be attributed to a water leak. For this purpose, a water leak is defined to occur on the service line between the City water meter and the point where the line enters the building. 2.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED 3.0 REFERENCES 4.0 POLICY 4.1 Customer must request adjustment in writing by completing a request form located at the Finance Department in City Hall or the City website. Required information shall include: a. Name, service address where leak occurred and account number b. Description of leak and date repaired c. Copy of repair bill or materials receipts d. Signature of customer 4.2 Upon receipt of the completed request form, a representative of the City Water Division will confirm, through visual check of the City meter for flow and pressure, that the leak has been repaired. 4.3 Following confirmation of repair, Finance personnel will adjust no more than two (2) billing cycles (4 months) if billed bi-monthly or 3 billing cycles if billed monthly. Single-family account types will have water only adjusted. Non-single family account types, where the customer's sewer bill may be based on the water consumption, will be allowed an adjustment to the water, City sewer and Metro sewer charge, provided it can be confirmed to the satisfaction of the Utility Accounting Supervisor that the additional water volume was due to the leak and did not enter the sanitary sewer system. 4.3.1 A sewer adjustment may be granted for non-single family account types where the customer's sewer bill is based on the water consumption and the leak is determined NOT to have occurred on the service line. An adjustment to the City sewer and Metro sewer charges will be considered provided that the Water technician can confirm that the additional water volume was due to the leak and did not enter the sanitary sewer system. Following confirmation of repair, TITLE: INDEX NO: ADMINISTRATIVE UTIITY SERVICE WATER PAGE POLICY AND PROCEDURE LEAK ADJUSTMENT 100-52 2 of 2 Finance personnel will adjust no more than two (2) billing cycles (4 months) if billed bi-monthly or 3 billing cycles if billed monthly. 4.4 The consumption used to determine the leak adjustment amount will be the actual consumption from the same bill cycle of the previous year. 4.4.1 For new owners or renters occupying the residence for less than one year, the consumption used to determine the leak adjustment amount will be one of the following: i. An average of the water consumption in the three-complete billing cycles immediately proceeding the bill cycle in which the leak began. ii. In the absence of three complete billing cycles, the water consumption from the previous occupants for the same billing cycle in the previous year. iii. If neither of the above is applicable, the system average for the applicable customer classification will be used. 4.5 One leak adjustment per 12-month period per account will be authorized. If an additional adjustment request is submitted for an account in the next or following year(s), the Utility Accounting Manager will consult with the Water Utility Engineer to determine if the City will require the customer to complete extensive repairs to the service line and/or fixtures. 4.6 Customers will be eligible for a leak adjustment if the total dollar amount of the adjustment for both water and sewer is greater than $50.00 (or $25.00 for a water only account), not to exceed a credit of $500.00 for water only adjustments. 4.7 Leak adjustments shall have the following required approvals: a) $1,000 or less - Utility Accounting Manager b) Greater than $1,000 and less that $10,000 - Finance Director c) Greater than $10,000 -Mayor 4.8 If the customer disputes the decision made by the City in which the disputed amount exceeds $500.00, he or she may submit a written request to the City of Auburn Finance Director for an administrative review of the adjustment by the City Council Public Works Committee. Additional leak adjustments will be considered by the Public Works Committee up to 50% of the remaining water portion over $500. Recommendations for leak adjustments made by Public Works Committee will be submitted to the full City Council for final consideration and approval. Such request should identify the property, describe the leak and repair, and state the basis for the request for an administrative review. The Finance Director must receive the written request for administrative review within 15 days from the date the City posted the adjustment to the account. Pending the decision on this review, the customer who requests such review must continue to pay the disputed charge as billed until the written decision of the Finance Director is provided. A decision of such an administrative review will be provided within 30 days of receipt of the written request for administrative review. Upon the written decision of the Finance Director, if an account has been incorrectly charged, the account will be adjusted accordingly to cover all billings occurring during the administrative review and all billings TITLE: INDEX NO: ADMINISTRATIVE UTIITY SERVICE WATER PAGE POLICY AND PROCEDURE LEAK ADJUSTMENT 100-52 2 of 2 that preceded the date of receipt of the written request for review, in accordance with City policy.