Should Leaks Mean Billing Break?

At a time when utilities are struggling with cost pressures and crumbling infrastructure, cities across the country are struggling with questions around their leak policies and if residents should get a break on their bills when they spring a leak.

City councilors in Canton, GA, debated whether or not to tighten up billing practices by reducing the city’s burden due to leaks at a meeting in November.

“Before seeking relief from a mishap on the customer’s side of the water meter, the resident must identify the source of the leak and have it repaired, according to the new policy. The customer can then submit a Request for Adjustment Form, attaching receipts, invoices or a plumber’s statement to show proof of repairs,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Customers may also seek an extended payment plan, the report said.

“The customer must seek relief within 30 days of repairs. An adjustment generally will be provided for up to two billing periods, unless the customer can show unusual circumstances. Water volume above the customer’s average monthly usage for the preceding 12 months will be charged at the wholesale rate,” the report said.

Canton policymakers are hardly alone in wrangling with this issue. About an hour south of Canton, in Dekalb, customers have been sounding off about the same issue.

A “crowd of residents upset with exorbitant water bills stood up to DeKalb County leaders [at a meeting in November], trying to hold them accountable for fixing the problem,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

“Water billing problems have been caused by malfunctioning digital meters, misread meters, computer errors and other issues. The DeKalb Commission passed a resolution stopping the installation of the problematic digital meters,” the report said.

DeKalb officials responded to the concerns by declaring a moratorium on water shutoffs for delinquent customers.

Officials in Buckeye, AZ, also decided to give customers a break last month in response to unusually high bills. Various customer had reported that their bills leapt up $600 or more without changes in water usage, according to KPHO.

The city council responded by postponing rate hikes that were supposed to go into effect in January, according to the report.

New technologies employed by some water utilities have made it easier for customers to detect leaks. California American Water, for instance, has tried technology that enables “participating Monterey Peninsula customers to monitor their daily water usage and identify unusually high water use that may indicate a leak," according to Environmental Leader.

The approach involves installing transmitters on meters. The data carried by the transmitters goes to the local electric utility's existing advanced metering infrastructure network.

Customers can then access the data through a website. They can set up alerts so they will get a text or an email if there is excess use on their account, according to an external affairs manager at the utility. The new technology includes the website as well as the data management software. The Arizona-based company Fathom produces the data management software.

To read more about preventing non-revenue water visit Water Online’s Water Loss Prevention Solutions Center.