Water Policy Changes Coming Soon

In addition to a hike in water rates, Pickens County residents will soon also see two other changes in water policies. During a water authority meeting this week, the water board discussed a change in the return check policy and passed a rate adjustment policy.

At the start of the session, Director of Utilities Larry Coleman reminded the board it had discussed the possibility of drafting a return check policy for the county several months ago. Currently, Coleman admitted the county does not have a return check policy, only a procedure that has been in place, he said, for years. When asked if the water department receiving bad checks was a significant issue, Coleman confirmed the department receives four or five bad checks a month. According to the current procedure, the board agreed that the new policy should allow two bad checks every six months. After two bad checks in a six month period, the customer is then required to pay all subsequent bills with cash-only for an additional six months. The board agreed to retain this procedure. Coleman said he would draft a policy for the next meeting, so the board could vote on it at that time. Additionally, the board discussed applying late charges starting on the 16th of the month, where typically the due date is the 15th and, in the past the county has given customers until the 20th to pay. In the new policy this grace period will be eliminated and the new policy stated on customers’ bills for one month before the policy goes into effect, which will be in October. The motion was passed unanimously.

The board also discussed revising the adjustment rates. According to the current policy, customers are allotted one adjustment every five years, meaning if a customer has a leak in his or her meter, the bill can be adjusted by taking the average amount of the cost to the county and multiplying this amount by the price per 1000 gallon, which currently varies depending on the part of the county in which the customer lives. This amount will then be added to the minimum charge.

“If you live, say, in the west end,”

Coleman explained,

“you’ll take the average of six months water usage and you’ll multiply that by $1.40 (per 1000 gallons) and then they’ll pay the minimum…If they live down here in River Stone, multiply it by $2.25.”

Coleman recommended standardizing this rate by raising it to $2.25 for customers in all parts of the county. Commissioner Jones, however, recommended raising it to $2.50. “And that would pay for transportation service through the lines. (such as) the pump, power,” he said. Board Member Ray Roberts, though, said he was uncomfortable with very idea of adjustments.

“If you give them an adjustment back to whatever the water costs us (the county) to purchase,”

Roberts pointed out,

“then that means that everybody else on the water system is subsidizing that portion of the water they lost.”

Subsequently, the board had a discussion on whether or not this was true, eventually submitting to Roberts’ statement. Despite this, though, it decided to forge ahead with the changes.

Satisfied, the board unanimously passed the new policy as recommended by Commissioner Jones.

The water department receives two or three requests for adjustments a day, for an estimated 300 a year, Coleman said.

See the new policy below.

PICKENS COUNTY WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

Customers requesting an adjustment of their current water bill can request that we do a twelve (12) month average of their gallons of usage. In the event the account is less than 12 months old, the adjustment will be based on the number of months of usage. The average gallons obtained upon request of adjustment will be charged accordingly and subtracted from the total gallons of usage for that read period; the remaining gallons will be charged at $2.50 per 1000 gallons. Therefore, the balance due upon request of adjustment will be a total of the average usage plus remaining gallons of usage.

This adjustment will be a one-time adjustment for a five (5) year period. The request needs to include the customer(s)’ signature(s).

The Director or Assistant Director and/or the Board will review the request and make a decision based on the information given.

Customers should be made aware that this is a one-time adjustment for a five (5) year period. This will cover any and all accounts that they have with us. Any future leaks or abnormally high usages that occur will be charged to the customer at the standard rate.