Alderwood Water District

I have had difficulty keeping up with my water bill for some time due to a series of medical setbacks! Several weeks ago I qualified for government assistance to help me catch up which was welcome news only to find out that my service was scheduled to be shut off. I explained that an arrangement had been made but my service was turned off as scheduled. A large sum is scheduled to be paid soon but since service has been disconnect there are now requiring the remainder of the balance be paid. Which is almost impossible! I'm on a fixed income income and AWW aware of my financial hardships there actions alm but insured we would be without water for at least 4-6 weeks to pay the remaining balance. What are we supposed to do for that amount of time? Before making the decision to shut off service we would have made an arrangement to keep services on instead they choose to make a struggling family endure more hardship! I have never disputed the charge and take issue with the claim that unpaid bills are unfairly shifted to customers that are able to pay on time. I still have an obligation to pay my bill. It's just an excuse to generate revenue anyway they can. SMH
No me hagas empezar con el pinche Waste Management 😂

[redacted] Please See Attached Documents [redacted] August 28, [redacted] , Revdex.com Resolutions Consultant Revdex.com PO Box DuPont, WA 98327RE: Revdex.com Complaint ID: [redacted] Dear Ms [redacted] :Alderwood Water & Wastewater District (District) received notice of the August 20th complaint submitted to the Revdex.com via postal mail on August 27, 2015.The rate payer's complaint included the following issues:Location of the District's water meter for serving the account at [redacted] Bothell, WA 98012;District staff accessing the meter;The District's process for addressing claims for damages; andThe District's process for addressing delinquent accounts subject to termination of service.Please see the District's response to each belowLocation of the District's water meter for serving the account at [redacted] ***Bothell, WA 98012The facts to the best of our knowledge are as follows:• [redacted] in Bothell, Washington is located in a public Right-of-Way (ROW) that is feet wide• The District's water meter is in a box and the northern edge of the box is about feet from the curb on the North side or about feet from the center-line of the streetIn other words, based on available information, the District's water meter and the box within which the water meter is set are at the edge of the public ROW, and can be serviced without going on to private propertyThe vast majority of our meters are in the public ROWDistrict staff accessing the meterDistrict staff accessed the water meter for serving this account using the public ROW and respected all posted signs not to trespass on private propertyA basic premise of operating a public water utility is that we need to have access to meters for taking readings, maintaining the connection, and if necessary turning on or off the water supplyOur staff was carrying out their duties in the way as much as possible, considering the thicket of bushes surrounding the meter The District's process for addressing claims for damagesThe rate payer contacted the District on December 5, regarding damage to his property as result of his old water meter being replaced by one that is read by radioThis replacement was performed on April 18, On December 8, 2014, the rate payer was emailed a Claim Form that he would have to complete in order for the District to process his claim for damagesOn December 12, 2014, another Claim Form was handed to the rate payer when he was at the District's office to address the issue in personOn both occasions, the rate payer was informed that the District would process his claim for damage separately from his utility bill and that he was responsible for the full amount owed on his utility billThe rate payer has not presented the District with a completed Claim Form describing and accounting for the damagesTherefore, the District is unable to process a claim for damages for this rate payer The District's process for addressing delinquent accounts subject to termination of serviceSection of the District Resolution No2622-establishes the District's process for addressing delinquent accounts subject to termination of serviceThe Resolution requires that the ratepayer submit their request, in writing, no later than the close of business on the day before the Required Payment Date in order to request a review of the account chargesA written request disputing the charges assessed to the account for service at [redacted] **, Bothell, WA has still not been presented to the DistrictTherefore, there is no record of the ratepayer disputing the outstanding chargesWater service was terminated per District policy for non-payment of the outstanding amount in a timely manner following several email and phone calls from District staff to the rate payer to try and prevent termination of service.The rate payer has been notified that additional fees will be applied to the account if the lock is broken -- breaking the lock: $and tampering: $-- for a total of $Breaking the lock would also result in the meter being removedReinstallation of a meter requires payment of $in additional feesReinstallation will take up to business days unless the ratepayer pays an additional $to expedite reinstallation.The information presented above has been communicated to the rate payer along with steps the rate payer needs to take regarding payment of the outstanding amount on this account and restoring service to the residence at [redacted] Bothell, WA The bottom line is that our 50,000+ customers pay for the service they receiveWhen a customer stops paying, we take elaborate steps to resolve the matterHowever, in the end, continuing to provide service without payment would unfairly shift costs over to other customers, and that is against District policy and practice.Sincerely,General Manager

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:
AWWD made wrong statement for the record of Feb 22, The minor leakage had existed before we purchased the propertyIt was never fixedIn fact it is not actually fixable with today's leak detection technologyWe hired two leak experts and was told that this kind of minor leakage is widespread in old residential area and is typically acceptable by water companies. The meter had never stopped spinning due to the minor leakage, which really had little impact over the water bills over the last five yearsMy tenant paid about $per billing cycle, below average for a family of threeNow, the pre-existing issue which has been accepted by AWWD over last five years becomes an excuse for AWWD not awarding the leak credit.
My complaint is not whether AWWD should execute its policy. I agree we all need play by rulesBut I don't want to become a victim of the inconsistent policy executionIf AWWD had executed its policy consistently and insisted that all minor leakage must be fixed, the minor issue might had been fixed by the previous owner
Sincerely,*** ***

* Please view attached documents *
Alderwood Water & Wastewater District received notice of the February complaint submitted to the Revdex.com via postal mail on February 16,
The rate payer's complaint included the following issues:
Water leak in service line and the
related adjustment to the bill for the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA in 2011;
Water leak in service line and the related adjustment to the bill for the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA in 2016; and
Consistent application of the District's policy for issuing leak adjustments
Please see the District's response to each below.
1. Water leak in service line and the related adjustment to the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA in
The facts to the best of our knowledge are as follows:
November 8, -- Mr*** *** informed the District that he had purchased the property at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA and was informed that the meter was locked at that time.
January 28, -- Mr*** *** contacted the District to determine whether a leak that he noticed was on his side of the meter, which would make it his responsibility to fix.
February 3, -- District staff left a message with Mr*** *** that the leak appeared to be on his (the owner's) side of the meter
February 9, -- District staff confirmed that the meter was turned on and the leak indicator was not spinning, which indicated that the leak had been fixed.
February 17, -- Based on District Staff's confirmation of Mr*** *** statement that the leak had been fixed, the District processed a $reduction to the amount outstanding on the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA 98021, per District policies.
February & March 3, -- Mr*** *** contacted the District regarding his high water bill and staff explained the impact of the leak on the billed amount and that a leak adjustment of $had been processed to reduce the bill.
March 8, -- Mr*** *** paid the outstanding amount on the account: $
In other words, based on available information, in 2011, in compliance with the District's policy, staff verified Mr*** *** claim that the leak in the service line to the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA was fixed prior to issuing a credit.
Water leak in service line and the related adjustment to the bill to the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA in
The facts to the best of our knowledge are as follows:
October 23, -- District changed the meter to a radio read meter for this account as part of the District's meter update program(Essentially all residential meters in the district have now been changed out for this reason.)
September Billing -- The utility bill for the period: July 6, through September 4, included a notice to the customer to check for leaks because the meter reading indicated continuous usage which may indicate a leak.
November Billing -- The utility bill for the period: September 4, through November 2, included a (Second) notice to the customer to check for leaks because the meter reading indicated continuous usage which may indicate a leak
November 11, -- Mr*** *** tenant called regarding his high water billDistrict staff provided the tenant with information on checking the meter for a possible leakThe tenant was unable to locate the meter and requested that District staff turn off the water meterDistrict staff was dispatched to help the tenant find his water meter.
January 4, -- Mr*** *** tenant called the District to state that the leak had been fixed.
January Billing -- The utility bill for the period: November 2, through January 5, included a (third) notice to the customer to check for leaks because the meter reading indicated continuous usage which may indicate a leak.
January 11, -- District staff inspected the water meter and noted the leak indicator was still moving, which indicated there was another possible leak.
January 28, -- Mr*** *** tenant called the District to state that there was a slight leak and District staff informed him that per policy, the District could not issue a leak adjustment to the amount until all the leaks had been fixedThe tenant was informed of payment arrangement options in order to pay the then outstanding amount on the account of $1,Tenant indicated he wanted the owner to sign the payment agreement or pay the outstanding amount.
January 29, -- Mr*** *** called the District because his tenant had informed him that the water service would be disconnected if the outstanding amount was not paid by February 14, District staff explained that the leak credit would only be issued once all the leaks had been fixedMr*** *** informed the District staff that he believes the leak is in a section of the service line that goes through a wetland area, which makes it difficult to detect since the area is wet from recent rains.
The issue was transferred to the Utility Billing Supervisor who explained the policy and requirements againMr*** *** stated that he was planning on replacing the service line in July and that he understood that the leak adjustment would only be issued after the District Staff have verified that all the leaks have been fixedThe Utility Billing Supervisor then offered to let Mr*** *** tenant to pay the average bill for the prior two billing cycles before the leak, which was calculated to be $Mr*** *** stated that he would ask his tenant to pay the $and wait a week for District Staff to contact him after they had read the meter againMr*** *** left the Utility Billing Supervisor with the impression that he would sign the payment agreement in order to keep the water on and spread the costs until he fixes the leak in the summerThe Utility Billing Supervisor also provided Mr*** *** with an estimate of the amount he would owe if a leak adjustment were issued on the account.
February 2, -- The Utility Billing Supervisor called Mr*** *** back to follow up on their discussion of January 29th and review the payment arrangement amount. Mr*** *** declined to sign the payment agreement and demanded that the District issue the leak adjustment immediatelyThe Utility Billing Supervisor explained that District policy and requirements for issuing a leak adjustment and pointed out that the water meter is still indicating a leak. Mr*** *** stated that the leak had existed for years and he was planning on fixing it this summer.
February 8, -- Mr*** *** emailed the District protesting the bill on the account at *** - *** *** ** ***, WA and stating that he was filing a claim at small claims court.
February 11, -- The Finance Director called Mr*** *** and discussed the District's leak adjustment policy and how it was applied on this account in 2011. Mr*** *** stated that he does not want any special treatment and only wants to be treated fairlyAt the end of the conversation, Mr*** *** agreed that he would work with the Utility Billing Supervisor and either pay the outstanding amount in full or signed the payment arrangementThe Utility Billing Supervisor, then emailed Mr*** *** the District leak adjustment policy (Resolution No2579-2011, attached) and the payment arrangement form for him to sign and returnThe email noted that the District was offering Mr*** *** a special extended payment arrangement allowing him to pay $his portion of the leak charges (wholesale cost) by February 26, and extend payment on the remaining leak charges of $1,to be due on July This extension would allow him to make the planned additional repairs in June. Mr*** *** was to notify the District prior to July 1, so that District staff can verify that the leak indicator was no longer moving.
Mr*** *** was asked to return the signed paperwork arrangement prior to February 18, in order to prevent water services from being disconnected at the property.
Later that day, Mr*** *** emailed the District to indicate that he was opting to pay the full amount outstanding of $1,
District staff believe that weather permitting, Mr*** *** will repair the service line this year and request a leak adjustment after District staff have verified that the leak has been fixed.
3. Consistent application of the District's policy for issuing leak adjustments
The District believes that staff has consistently applied the District's policy regarding leak adjustmentsStaff have taken into consideration the extenuating circumstances involved and offered options to accommodate Mr*** *** needs.
The information presented above has been communicated to Mr*** ***. Mr*** *** has indicated that he has discussed this matter with his attorney and has elected to pay the outstanding amountThe District considers this matter closedThe bottom line is that we take elaborate states to resolve customer issues within the limits of current policy and the lawWe believe that we provided early notice that there was probably a leak and it should be repaired, have been fair in the application of the District's leak adjustment policy, and presented Mr*** *** with options to meet his needs and the requirements of the policy.
Sincerely,
Jeff C***
General Manager

[redacted] Please See Attached Documents [redacted]
August 28, 2015[redacted], Revdex.com Resolutions Consultant Revdex.com PO Box 1000 DuPont, WA 98327RE:      Revdex.com Complaint ID: [redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]:Alderwood Water & Wastewater District (District) received notice of the August...

20th complaint submitted to the Revdex.com via postal mail on August 27, 2015.The rate payer's complaint included the following issues:1. Location of the District's water meter for serving the account at [redacted] Bothell, WA 98012;2. District staff accessing the meter;3. The District's process for addressing claims for damages; and4. The District's process for addressing delinquent accounts subject to termination of service.Please see the District's response to each below.1. Location of the District's water meter for serving the account at [redacted]Bothell, WA 98012The facts to the best of our knowledge are as follows:• [redacted] in Bothell, Washington is located in a public Right-of-Way (ROW) that is 50 feet wide• The District's water meter is in a box and the northern edge of the box is about 12.5 feet from the curb on the North side or about 25 feet from the center-line of the streetIn other words, based on available information, the District's water meter and the box within which the water meter is set are at the edge of the public ROW, and can be serviced without going on to private property. The vast majority of our meters are in the public ROW.2. District staff accessing the meterDistrict staff accessed the water meter for serving this account using the public ROW and respected all posted signs not to trespass on private property. A basic premise of operating a public water utility is that we need to have access to meters for taking readings, maintaining the connection, and if necessary turning on or off the water supply. Our staff was carrying out their normal duties in the normal way as much as possible, considering the thicket of bushes surrounding the meter. 3.   The District's process for addressing claims for damagesThe rate payer contacted the District on December 5, 2014 regarding damage to his property as result of his old water meter being replaced by one that is read by radio. This replacement was performed on April 18, 2014. On December 8, 2014, the rate payer was emailed a Claim Form that he would have to complete in order for the District to process his claim for damages. On December 12, 2014, another Claim Form was handed to the rate payer when he was at the District's office to address the issue in person. On both occasions, the rate payer was informed that the District would process his claim for damage separately from his utility bill and that he was responsible for the full amount owed on his utility bill. The rate payer has not presented the District with a completed Claim Form describing and accounting for the damages. Therefore, the District is unable to process a claim for damages for this rate payer.4.   The District's process for addressing delinquent accounts subject to termination of serviceSection 4 of the District Resolution No. 2622-2013 establishes the District's process for addressing delinquent accounts subject to termination of service. The Resolution requires that the ratepayer submit their request, in writing, no later than the close of business on the day before the Required Payment Date in order to request a review of the account charges. A written request disputing the charges assessed to the account for service at [redacted], Bothell, WA 98012 has still not been presented to the District. Therefore, there is no record of the ratepayer disputing the outstanding charges. Water service was terminated per District policy for non-payment of the outstanding amount in a timely manner following several email and phone calls from District staff to the rate payer to try and prevent termination of service.The rate payer has been notified that additional fees will be applied to the account if the lock is broken -- breaking the lock: $75 and tampering: $200 -- for a total of $275. Breaking the lock would also result in the meter being removed. Reinstallation of a meter requires payment of $100 in additional fees. Reinstallation will take up to 3 business days unless the ratepayer pays an additional $100 to expedite reinstallation.The information presented above has been communicated to the rate payer along with steps the rate payer needs to take regarding payment of the outstanding amount on this account and restoring service to the residence at [redacted] Bothell, WA 98012. The bottom line is that our 50,000+ customers pay for the service they receive. When a customer stops paying, we take elaborate steps to resolve the matter. However, in the end, continuing to provide service without payment would unfairly shift costs over to other customers, and that is against District policy and practice.Sincerely,General Manager