- Details
- Category: Past Issues
PUTNAM --- After years of work, the Putnam Water Pollution Control Authority has instituted a new water shut-off police that will begin April 1.
After the collector has sent out collection and agreement letters, the authority will compile a list of non responders.
The high points of the new policy include:
--- The Collector shall prepare a list of the 50 largest delinquent accounts with the WPCA and that list would be broken down in increments of 10 addresses per unit.
--- The director of the WPCA reviews each address and decides if there is any legal or equitable reason the property address should not be subject to the shut-off notice.
--- That a proposed list of addresses and owners designated to receive shut-off notices be prepared and approved by the director of the WPCA and / or the WPCA directly. The record will contain a written explanation indicating any property on the list which is exempted from a shut-off notice
--- After 30 days the authority will hang bright red / orange notices on all the doors of the property stating that if arrangements are not made, water will be shut off by a certain date Any water that is shut off will be done on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
--- If water is shut off it shall not be turned on until payment in full is received.
--- The process to appeal any of the policy will be to be put on the agenda and the property owner or his designee appear at a regular meeting of the WPCA commission. Properties that are in the process of appeal shall not be shut off pending a final determination by the WPCA Commission.
The collector recommended that vacant properties with an outstanding bill and no consumption should be shut off. This shall be done at the discretion of the collector, approved by the WPCA Commission and made a public document.
Shut offs shall be done between April 1 and Oct. 1 to avoid damage claims due to freezing.