HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10550 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 21-10550
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 9, 2021
Page 1 of 2
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SUBJECT: TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF CUSTOMER CREDITS AVAILABLE
1875 FOR RESIDENTIAL WATER AND WASTEWATER BILLS
The purpose of this Informal Report is to update the City Council on available tools being used to provide water bill
relief to qualifying customers who experience bill increases as a result of the variability of water use due to recent
conditions.
The harsh winter storm impacting our region resulted in atypical water use for some of our residential customers. Fort
Worth Water is mitigating the impact by adjusting how it calculates the winter quarter average that sets residential
sewer bills for the year. We are also offering a winter storm credit to help customers who may have experienced higher
than their average water usage in February due to plumbing or irrigation line breaks, or dripping faucets to prevent
freezing pipes.
Revised Residential Sewer Calculation - In March of each year, the Utility calculates an average of water used in
December, January and February, generally, to establish a volume for sewer billing for the coming 12-month period.
These months are used because water usage is usually at its lowest because of minimal landscape watering. The
newly established Winter Quarter Average (WQA) becomes effective in April of each year. To eliminate the impact of
excess water consumption during the storm event, the calculation will exclude the storm period and will be based on an
average of the two preceding months only.
Winter Storm Credit (Water) - In addition, Fort Worth Water is issuing a storm recovery credit to residential water
customers who have higher than average usage during the billing period that includes February 15 through February
28, 2021. The credit amount will be based on the cost of a customer's water usage for the same billing period in 2020.
If the cost of a customer's February 2021 usage is higher than February 2020, a bill credit will be automatically issued
for the difference between the two amounts on the following billing statement. If a customer did not have a Fort Worth
water account at the same location in the prior year period, the comparison will be made to the January 2021 billing
period. No paperwork is required. Customers who did not see an increase in water consumption during the period will
not see a credit. The credit will apply to the cost of water consumption only and will not apply to other services billed on
the water bill. This credit requires a billing system programming change that is currently underway.
Water Leak Repair Adjustments—The winter storm may have created or made worse existing water leaks. Although
the winter storm water credit is structured to capture the impact of burst pipes and noticeable leaks during the storm
period, the impact of a leak may be reflected in a customer's water use beyond a single billing period. Customers who
have an extended impact should contact the Utility as they may also be eligible for a leak adjustment for repaired
leaks. If eligible, the period affected by the leak may receive an adjustment equal to 50 percent of the difference above
the average water use. The adjustment is applied as a credit to the account.
To assist customers who may be unaware of small leaks, Fort Worth Water continues to send written notification to
customers with remote read meters showing a 72-hour period of continuous use, which indicates a leak may be
present.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 21-10550
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 9, 2021
Page 2 of 2
xA.
SUBJECT: TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF CUSTOMER CREDITS AVAILABLE
1875 FOR RESIDENTIAL WATER AND WASTEWATER BILLS
Late Fee Waivers - Fort Worth Water is also waiving late fees for bills due from February 15-28, 2021, in recognition
of the difficulties experienced by customers in making payments as the storm disrupted mail service and in-person
payment options.
Ongoing High Use Credits - In addition to providing relief to customers impacted by the winter storm, options are
available to address bill spikes a customer may experience throughout the year.
Unidentified High Use Adjustment- The undefined high water use adjustment addresses a single-bill that is more than
twice as high as a customer's previous usage for similar billing periods when there is no leak to fix. This adjustment is
used when limited customer data is available (manual read meters) to determine when the water was used during a
billing period.
To address the impact that a meter exchange could have on a customer where the previous meter failed to properly
measure flow due to age or wear, application of this policy will be expanded to provide relief.
High Bill Courtesy Consumption Adjustment(Temporary MyH2O New Install) -The adjustment addresses a single bill
that is more than twice a customer's previous usage for a similar billing period following a meter exchange. As a part of
the credit implementation, the customer will receive individual usage data with an explanation of water use and will
receive information and helpful tips on how to check for leaks and save water both indoors and outdoors. The intent of
the credit is to address an unexpected change and to provide tools to help reduce future billings. Customers who
experienced a high bill following a meter exchange can download, complete and return an application form found at
www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/water/services/high-bills.
In addition, Fort Worth Water will continue to work with customers on a case-by-case basis to address any billing
anomalies or hardships. This may include short-term payment plans, courtesy fee waivers including late fees, waived
or reduced security deposits, and temporary or permanent"plus 10-day" due date extensions for customers on fixed
incomes. Staff also actively refers customers to various assistance programs.
Billing adjustments will be communicated to customers using a variety of avenues including City News, neighborhood
outreach, social media and direct email to customers with addresses on file.
Should you have any additional questions please contact Water Director Chris Harder, P.E., at 817-392-5020.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS