Agenda Text
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Director of Water and Sewer responding to #204370 re: residential notifications for excessive water use.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
I hereby convey in response to Agenda item #204370:
That the Director of Water and Sewer inform this Board whether it is protocol to notify residents of excessive water usage on their property, the means by which that is done, and the recourse residents have if they were not notified.
The Water and Sewer Department strives to provide constituents in the City with the professional service required by the Administration and expected by the Board of Aldermen. Through the use of our automated meter reading system (AMR), we are able to identify spikes in water use whenever they occur. These spikes could be caused by a wide range of items, including guests visiting a homeowner, lawn watering during hot summer days, and leaks in kitchen sinks or bathroom toilets. Water Department staff monitors the AMR data and responds to notifications when a spike exceeds normal usage at a property by 10%. Using that information, Department staff makes a ‘courtesy call’ to property owners to notify them of the spike. The Water Department also provides conservation kits with water saving suggestions and testing tablets that aid homeowners in identifying potential leaks in bathroom toilets. These packages are free of charge for the residents in our City.
If a homeowner identifies the source of a spike in usage is an issue with the plumbing in the building and addresses that issue (replacing a leaking faucet or toilet for example), the homeowner has the ability to request an abatement of that bill. The request must be submitted in writing to the Director of the water department. The Director reviews the request and analyzes the account data and either approves or denies the request based on his/her findings. One of the factors that’s considered is whether the owner responded in a timely and proactive manner to the conditions.
On average, our staff make 150-300 calls per day to homeowners about spikes in usage. We also provide residents with an online portal to proactively review water usage at any time. Lastly I’m excited to share that we will be moving to an automated calling system soon. This service will eliminate the need for our staff to make these calls each day and give them the opportunity to improve services to constituents in other ways, including updating and maintaining accurate account data, managing final bill requests, assisting with permit inquiries and processing, and responding to incoming calls and walk-in constituents.
Our notification is a ‘courtesy call’ intended to assist the property owner that there could be a problem; it is a service provided to help but it is in no means intended to be a waiver of liability for the homeowner.
Although we make every attempt to contact residents that may have a spike in their system, we are not always able to reach a resident by phone. Ultimately the home owner is responsible to maintain their plumbing within residences and make the appropriate repairs.
Please contact me if I can be of further assistance.
John DeLuca
Director of Water and Sewer