Unintentional Use Adjustment Policy

PURPOSE:
To establish a policy for staff to make administrative adjustment to utility accounts and provide relief to utility customers who are in good standing in the event that they have excessive water usage resulting from unintentional use or leaking fixture.

 

ELIGIBILITY:
The following criteria must be met in order for the account to be eligible for an adjustment under the provisions of this policy:

  • All utility accounts for properties owned by the same individual or entity within the City are current at the time of the request for adjustment; and
  • All accounts for properties owned by the same individual or entity within the City have been current for the twelve months prior to the month requested to be adjusted; and
  • The City has not certified property tax assessment for delinquencies on the account to be adjusted and any accounts for other properties within the City owned by the same individual or entity within the last three years; and
  • If the property owner has owned the property or other properties in the City for less than twelve months for purposes of determining account currency or three years for evaluating past tax assessments for delinquencies, the determination of “good standing” will be made based on the time period the property has been owned; and
  • The usage in the month to be adjusted must be in excess of 20,000 gallons and at least 100% greater than the highest usage month in the previous twelve months.

 

RELIEF:

  • The adjustment will be only for up to two months of usage; and
  • The cost of usage in excess of 10,000 gallons shall be reduced to the amount applied to usage between 0 and 10,000 gallons;
  • Such relief will only be provided to a property owner once every 36 months, provided the eligibility criteria can be met at that time.


To request relief under the Unintentional Use Policy, please fill out the Request Unintentional Water Use Adjustment Online Form. Please note: Once this form is received, City staff will review the request and a determination will be made.