 PROPERTY OWNERS & TENANTS WHAT IS THE AVERAGE CONSUMPTION FOR WATER? We advise our customers that the average usage is approximately 5-7 units per person/per billing cycle. Keep in mind that this number is just an approximation, and everyone’s actual usage will vary! HOW OFTEN WILL I RECEIVE A BILL? Water is billed on a bi-monthly schedule, and includes a minimum bill of 6 units for residential accounts. Please see our schedule of rates that are in effect for your area. Customers are given twenty days to pay their bills. Any bills not paid by the due date will be assessed a 3% fee bi-monthly on all outstanding balances. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T PAY MY BILL? If a water account becomes delinquent, the account will be placed in our Collections Department. The occupants and the owner will be notified of our intent to interrupt water service if the delinquent bill remains unpaid. Once water service is interrupted, payment in full plus a $75.00 reconnect fee is required to reinstate service. Payment must be made by cash, certified check, money order, or debit/credit card. No personal checks are accepted on accounts that are shut off for nonpayment. WILL MY BILL BE BASED ON ACTUAL METER READINGS? We try to obtain actual readings from each account every 2 months. If we are unable to get a reading, we will estimate the bill based on prior usage. After 1 estimate, a message will print on your bill advising you to call the office to schedule a reading. We will also replace or repair the meter while we are there. It is up to the occupant/owner to ensure that we have access to our meter in order to obtain accurate readings and allow us to detect potential plumbing problems. NO WATER WAS USED - WHY DID I RECEIVE A BILL? A minimum bill is assessed for every billing cycle that a meter is in the property. The only way to stop being billed is to request removal of the meter. There is a fee to reset the meter if water service is required again. HOW CAN I CHECK FOR A TOILET LEAK? If you suspect that you may have a toilet leak, you can contact our office and we will provide you with tablets that will detect the leak. Also, if you have a Sensus Remote meter, to detect a leak you can check the black triangle on the meter’s face. If no water is being used in the house and the triangle is moving, there is a leak. When you have a leak, you will need to either repair the problem yourself or contact a plumber. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WATER METER FREEZES? It is the property owner’s responsibility to ensure that our water meter is protected from freezing or damage. The owners of a property are assessed the cost of a new meter plus a reset fee for frozen or lost meters. PROPERTY OWNERS WHY AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR A BILL INCURRED BY MY TENANTS? The EWB operates under the charter of the City of Elmira which dictates that any unpaid bills are a lien against the property, not the occupant. Bills are sent to the tenants of a property, however, the property owner is ultimately responsible for any unpaid water charges. Property owners should contact our office to check on their property water accounts. Upon request owners can request copies of final bills and past due bills sent to a property in care of a tenant. WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN A TENANT MOVES OUT? If a tenant moves out of a property, a final reading should be scheduled with our office. Without an actual reading, a final bill cannot be calculated for that tenant. It is in the landlord’s best interest to verify with us that a reading has been scheduled. WHAT AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR? The customer is responsible for anything from the curb to the cellar and the shut-off valve at the meter. The EWB only maintains the main to curb and the water meter. Please be advised that the EWB does not do any type of plumbing work. Upon request, we have a list of curb to cellar contractors available. TENANTS WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I MOVE OUT? You need to come to our office to schedule a final reading when you are getting ready to move out of a property. Once a tenant moves out, we can not go back and calculate a final bill for that person unless we have an actual reading. |
