Water Leak and Billing Adjustments
Billing Adjustments
If the City has inadvertently overcharged or underbilled a customer for utility service, the City will promptly notify the customer and set up a payment process.
Should the mistake be in the customer's favor, the City will refund the excess amount to the customer or credit the customer's account with that amount. If the time frame of the mistake can be determined, the utility should credit the account for that entire interval, as long as it is not more than three years. If the time frame of the problem cannot be determined, the utility should refund the excess amount charged during the previous 12 months. If the exact amount of excess charge cannot be determined, the utility should estimate the amount due. If an overcharged customer owes a past-due balance to the City, the utility may deduct that past-due amount from any refund or credit due.
If the utility has inadvertently undercharged a customer for utility service, the City should collect the amount due in installments over the same amount of time as the mistake. If the amount of time or usage cannot be determined, the City will estimate the amount due. In most instances, the City will limit its collection period to the 12 months before the mistake was discovered.
If an undercharge has occurred because of meter tampering, the City can ask for the overdue amount in a lump sum.
If an overcharged customer owes the City on another account, the City will apply the credit to that past due account.
Leaks & Water Line Breaks - Water/Sewer Adjustment
When the City finds the cause of an excessive water/sewer bill is the result of a leak in the customer's plumbing system that (1) was of such a nature and at such a location to not have been discovered with the customer's reasonable diligence, (2) and certification is furnished that such leaks were repaired, (3) and no such adjustment has been made in the preceding twelve months; in such case the City shall reduce the billed water service by 50 percent of the amount which it exceeds the average bill for water service during the preceding twelve months; and the billed sewer service by the amount which it exceeds the average bill for sewer service during the preceding twelve month period, provided that complaints must be made prior to the date specified as the cut-off date for nonpayment of water/sewer bills.