Chapter 13.64 — BILLING

Bills for metered service shall be monthly. Meters shall be read at approximately equal intervals for the preparation of periodic billing. Special readings shall be taken for opening or closing bills.

(Prior code § 23A.141)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

Each meter on a customer's premises shall be billed separately, and the readings of two or more meters will not be combined unless the water department, for operating convenience or necessity, installs two or

more meters in place of one.

(Prior code § 23A.142)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

If a customer uses water for which no bills have been issued, the water department shall install a meter and determine an average bill for a period of twelve months last past or for as much of the past twelve months as the customer has been occupying or in possession of the premises without paying bills.

(Prior code § 23A.143)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

If the total period of service is less than thirty days, monthly minimum charges shall be applied to the account. If the quantity of water consumed is greater than that for the periodic minimum, the charges shall be calculated on the actual water consumption.

(Prior code § 23A.144)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

Bills are due and payable on presentation. Payment shall be made in the commercial office or other place or places designated by the city council.

(Prior code § 23A.145)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

All bills are delinquent thirty days after the date stamped on the bill. The water department will not discontinue residential service for nonpayment until the payment by customer has been delinquent for at least sixty days. At least seven days prior to the disconnection of service, the water department will contact the customer in writing or by telephone to provide notice of the disconnection as set forth below:

A.

If the notice is by telephone, the water department will offer to provide the customer with the water department's written policy on discontinuation of water service and discuss options to avoid discontinuing water service, including alternative payment schedules, deferred payments, minimum payments, amortization and bill review and appeal.

B.

If notice is given in writing, the notice will be mailed to the customer at the address where service is provided, unless the customer's address is not the address of the property receiving service, then the notice will be sent to both the customer's address and the address of the property receiving the service. The notice to the address receiving service will be addressed to "Occupant" and include the following:

Customer's name and address;

Amount of delinquency;

Date by which payment or arrangement for payment is required to avoid discontinuation of service;

Description of the process to apply for an extension of time to pay the amount owing;

Description of the procedure to petition for review and appeal of the bill in giving rise to the delinquency; and

Description of the procedure by which a customer can request a deferred, amortized, reduced or alternative payment schedule.

C.

If the water department is unable to contact the customer by telephone or by written notice (i.e. mailed notice is returned as undeliverable), the water department shall make a good faith effort to visit the residence and leave, or make other arrangements to post in a conspicuous location, a notice of imminent discontinuation for non-payment, and a copy of this discontinuation policy.

D.

If the customer or the tenant of the customer appeals the water bill to the water department through the process set forth in this policy, then the water department will not discontinue service while the appeal is pending.

(Ord. 678 (part), 1998: Ord. 667 § 4, 1997: prior code § 23A.146)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

The water department will not discontinue residential water service if the customer meets all the following conditions:

A.

The customer or the tenant of the customer submits a certificate of a primary health provider that discontinuation of water service would (i) be life threatening, or (ii) pose a serious threat to the health and safety of, a resident of the premises where the residential service is provided; and

B.

The customer demonstrates that he or she is financially unable to pay for residential service within the water department's normal billing cycle. The customer will be deemed "financially unable to pay" if any of the customer's household is (i) a current recipient of the following benefits: CalWORKS, CalFresh, general assistance, Medi-Cal, SSI/State Supplementary Payment Program or California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; or (ii) the customer declares the household's annual income is less than two hundred percent of the federal poverty level; and

C.

The customer is willing to enter into an amortization agreement consistent with Section 13.64.075.

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 827, § 1, adopted Jan. 21, 2020, amended § 13.64.070 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former § 13.64.070 pertained to delinquent accounts—service discontinuance—several locations, and derived from Prior code § 23A.147.

If all of the conditions of Section 13.64.070 are met, then:

A.

The water department will offer the customer an amortization of the unpaid balance over a reasonable period of time, not to exceed twelve months. The water department will set the parameters of the option. However, the water department may allow a longer repayment period if the twelve-month period would cause undue hardship to the customer.

B.

The customer will be required to pay the amortized amounts plus the current water service charges each month. All late penalties will be waived during the amortized payment period. Failure to pay the amortized amount plus the current charges each billing period will nullify the amortization agreement and the water service may be terminated.

C.

The water department will discontinue service no sooner than five business days after it posts a final notice of intent to discontinue service in a prominent place on the customer's property if either of the following

has occurred:

The customer fails to comply with the agreed upon payment arrangement for sixty days or more; or

While undertaking an agreed upon payment arrangement, the customer does not pay his or her current service charges for sixty days or more.

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

If the property receiving service is an individually metered residential service to detached single-family dwellings, multi-unit residential structures or mobile home parks, where the property owner or manager, not the tenant, is the customer of record:

A.

At least ten days (seven days if the property is a detached single-family dwelling) prior to the possible termination of water service, the water department will take every good faith effort to inform the occupants by written notice that water service will be terminated. The written notice must also inform the tenants that they have the right to become customers to whom the service will be billed, without having to pay any of the delinquent amounts.

B.

If one or more of the tenants/occupants assumes responsibility for subsequent charges to the account to the water department's satisfaction, or there is a physical means to selectively terminate service to those tenants/occupants who have not met the water department's requirements, then the water department may make service available only to those tenants/occupants who have met the requirements.

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 827, § 1, adopted Jan. 21, 2020, set out provisions intended for use as § 13.64.088. To preserve the style of this Code, and at the editor's discretion, these provisions have been included as § 13.64.078.

Water services discontinued because of delinquency in payment or upon customer's request shall not be turned on until all charges together with a turn-on charge in an amount established by resolution of the city council are paid. This fee may be waived upon appeal to the finance director for specific reasons. In the case of delinquent payment, a cash deposit may be required to reestablish credit. The deposit shall be treated as an application deposit.

(Ord. 678 (part), 1998: Ord. 621 § 1, 1994: Ord. 603 § D, 1992: Ord. 299 § 1(k), 1974: prior code § 23A.148)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

If, after service is discontinued for delinquency in payment, service is resumed without authorization, the meter may be closed, locked and/or removed and a charge made for restoring service, in an amount established by resolution of the city council. This charge is in addition to all other charges and deposits.

(Ord. 678 (part), 1998: Ord. 667 § 6, 1997: Ord. 603 § E, 1992: prior code § 23A.149)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

In case of dispute as to payment of a bill previously delivered, the customer may appeal the disputed amount to the finance director. The finance director may waive, adjust or accept installment payments of any amount owed. If the customer is not satisfied with the decision made by the finance director, then appeal may be made in writing to the city manager. If the decision of the city manager is unsatisfactory to the customer, a further appeal may be made to the city council. If an appeal is made at any time when an account is delinquent, the water department will not discontinue service until the appeal is complete.

(Ord. 667 § 5, 1997: Ord. 638, 1996)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

If a customer reports that they have discovered and repaired a water leak, the finance director may credit the account for an amount of water use determined to be resulting from the leak for no more than one month, or a different amount as directed by the city council.

(Ord. 667 § 7, 1997: Ord. 621 § 2, 1994: prior code § 23A.151)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

After the water department makes an inspection of a customer's premises on account of excessive water bills, or upon the request of the customer, or for other reasons, no further inspections shall be made for a period of six months; however, the manager may order an inspection at any time if in his opinion conditions warrant it.

(Prior code § 23A.152)

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)

This chapter and any related policy shall be available on the City of Anderson website in English and the five languages listed under Civil Code Section 1632, which are Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and

Tagalog. It must also be available in any other language spoken by at least ten percent of the people residing in the City of Anderson jurisdiction.

(Ord. No. 827, § 1, 1-21-2020)