Aqua America, Incorporated

Tell The initial lease was received on March 9, 2017 and was denied because it was altered, we had no phone number to contact tenant or landlord for verification.Account was noted that we required good lease, a tax bill showing owner and letter stating new tenant and the date the service was to...

begin.The water was turned on March 23, 2017 at 3:31 PM us why here...

The customer should have been notified when he purchased the property about the various utility companies. The company posted a 3 day notice on the property on 8/11/14. The sewer authority called the company on 8/12/14 and questioned the company regarding the water usage because it had not...

been reported. The sewer company needs the water usage to bill for the sewer. After some investigation it was discovered that the new account for the previous owner was not activated. The customer called on 8/13/14 and the CSR told the customer that he must send in his ID and paperwork to put the account in his name. She also told him that it would take 24 to 48 hours to process the paperwork. The company received paperwork twice from the customer on 8/15/14. There was only one page received with the customer's identification and as the customer stated there was no way to contact him. The company sent the customer a letter of denial on 8/15/14. On 8/19/14 the company turned the water off for usage without contract. The customer called on 8/19/14 and was told that his paperwork was incomplete. The customer asked for a supervisor and the supervisor told him to send the paperwork to her first thing in the morning and she would scan it and send it over to the Customer Account Transfers department. The customer called on 8/20/14 and was told that the initial paperwork he sent in was incomplete and he would need to wait 24-48 hours for the paperwork to be processed. The customer called on 8/21/14 and was told that the paperwork was not received and he asked to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor told the customer to email the paperwork to the department directly and request a read and delivery receipt. The Customer Account Transfers department received the paperwork and created the account for the customer on 8/21/14. There is an email that the customer can scan and send documents. The customer should have been given that option. But the company tried several ways to reach the customer and could not. The customer's water is on and he is being billed.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]
I'm agreeing to wait for their response even though it's after the date in which they gave, until 7-20-16.   Giving them an extra two days.  Otherwise, the situation is still unsatisfactory meanwhile.  Business unfinished as of this date.

[redacted] states that the changing of the water companies has resulted in inaccurate read and poor customer service when changing old meters. She did not listed any desired settlement.
I apologize for the inconvenience of the inaccurate billing that you have been experiencing in addition to...

the poor customer service. The incorrect billing was due to meter exchanges that were completed at your property but not in Aqua system. In addition to Aqua Field Service Representatives completing an exchange, our contracted company (United Meter) completed an exchange which was not completed in our system. I am working with our IT Department to complete the changes to your account. Once all of the changes have been completed I will forward a corrected bill to you. Please allow me to follow up with you within a week.

From: S[redacted], Michael L.<[redacted]@aquaamerica.com>Date: Wed, May 25, 2016 at 3:16 PMSubject: Case #: [redacted]To: "[redacted]@myRevdex.com.org" <[redacted]@myRevdex.com.org>Cc: "J[redacted], Richard" <[redacted]@aquaamerica.com>[redacted]’s paperwork for a new account was approved on 6/19/15 and an...

account was opened in his name.  Aqua had a technician turn the water on 6/22/15.  There are no notes on the account showing that Aqua made an earlier appointment.  Aqua apologizes for any inconvenience this matter has caused. If the there are any additional questions, please contact Aqua’ s customer service department at ###-###-#### between the hours of 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday. Michael *. S[redacted]State Coordination Team###-###-####

The historical water usage, over the past twelve billing periods, shows a fluctuation between 31 and 69 cubic ft of water per day. A Bench Test of the meter was performed on 09/24/2014. The accuracy range of the...

tested meter is 100.17% which is within the 98.5% to 101.5% accuracy range stipulated by the [redacted]. The company has no explanation for the increase in consumption. The customer admits to performing a dye test in the toilet and the coloring appeared in the toilet bowl. This is normally the result when the toilet is leaking. The company’s position is that the account was accurately billed based on water that registered on the meter. The high consumption is possibly the result of a leaking toilet.
In regards to the customer's request for payment arrangements, company policy allow for two payment arrangements per account. In the last twelve months, the company granted two payment arrangements, for this account. The company granted the maximum number of payment arrangements for this account therefore; the account is ineligible for an additional payment arrangement.
On 03/10/2014, a payment arrangement was granted on the total account balance $570.64. The customer agreed to pay $142.66 per month towards arrears, plus current bills as due, beginning 03/15/2014. The customer did not pay the current bill amount $108.67 by the 04/04/2014 due date. This resulted in cancellation of the payment arrangement.
On 08/04/2014, a payment arrangement was granted on the total account balance $280.67. The customer agreed to pay $70.17 per month towards arrears, plus current bills as due, beginning 08/15/2014. The payment arrangement was cancelled because the customer did not pay arrears in the amount of $70.17 by the 08/15/2014 due date.
 
Contact Information:
The customer contacted the company on 07/14/2014 with a high bill dispute. A company representative gave the customer verbal instructions to check for leaks. The customer did not contact the company regarding her findings.
A termination notice was mailed to the service address on 08/26/2014 for a past due account balance in the amount of $280.67. The proposed service termination date was on or after 09/10/2014.
On 09/22/2014, the customer contacted the company again, regarding high consumption. An appointment to investigate the high consumption complaint was scheduled for 09/23/2014.
A Field Service Representative visited the property on 09/23/2014. The FSR noticed that the water level in one toilet was high.  The customer informed the company that a slight amount of coloring appeared in the toilet bowl when performing a dye test to check for a leak.  The customer does not agree that a toilet leak could have contributed to the high consumption.
At the customer's request, the meter was removed for testing. The meter reading at removal was 52653 and the reported consumption was 540 cubic for 13 days of service (41 cf per day).

The account is under the name of [redacted].  The customers in the Chesapeake Point subdivision received the Boil Water notice (precautionary) on December 16, 2015, via Aqua’s emergency notification system ([redacted]).  The notification started at 12 noon through 2PM.
 
The...

Boil Water Notice was lifted on December 18, 2015 at 4:44 PM however; there was an internal issue and customers were not notified until December 21, 2015.
 
I spoke with the customer ([redacted]) on December 23rd.  I explained when the notice was lift and reason there was a delay in reaching the customers in the subdivision.  I also advised I would pass on her feedback and provided her my direct telephone number

mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">The customer contacted Aqua to state the pipes in his property was leaking and was informed that it was his responsibility. He stated water was running out in front of the house between the curb stop and the street.  As a result, a request was made by the customer to turn off the water at the property on 4/22/15 however per the “field service representative” the customer and plumber wanted water on until they were ready to do the repairs.  On 4/29/15, another request was submitted to turn off water and then another request to check for a service line leak to determine if it was the customer or Aqua’s responsibility to repair.  Per the work order notes, no leaks were found in Aqua’s service line however it was a leak found on the “customer’s “side.  As a result the customer had a plumber install a new service line at his property and is seeking reimbursement for the cost however it was [redacted]’s decision, not Aqua, to replace his new service line.  The company (Aqua) service line is owned and maintained by the company (Aqua) and that line extends from the water main to the curb stop.  The customer’s service line extends from the curb stop to the property and is owned and maintained by the customer.  [redacted]’s claim for reimbursement for the cost of repairs made to his service line was reviewed and denied by our Aqua New Jersey superintendent.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I moved from [redacted]. My current address is [redacted]. The weren't bill is from my previous address. I have contacted the center 4 times now. 
Regards,
Alishia C[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Aqua and its contractors operation the machinery in a manner that is required for the particular situation.  Aqua is not involved in the practice of wasting resources as indicated on their cars marked "green".  Aqua apologizes for any inconvenience this matter has caused.  In no...

way does Aqua operate under the intention of purposely wasting resources while contributing to air pollution.

Aqua acknowledges that it moved the customer into the wrong address in error which caused the water to be off.  The customer contacted Aqua on 9/11/17 and he was moved into the correct property and the water was turned on.  Aqua apologizes if the customer feels they did not receive...

satisfactory customer service.  In addition, Aqua apologizes for any inconvenience this matter has caused.

The customer received zero reading during 2 separate periods, from 7/16 - 2/17 and 6/17 - 9/17.  During the first period Aqua visited the property and the technician reported there was a dirty connection with the wire and he cleaned them to alleviate the problem.  The remote reading device...

(RF) transmits the reading from the meter.  The wires on the RF were dirty therefore, not allowing it to report the actual reading from the meter but instead report zero reads.  The meter was working correctly, however, the transmission of the information was not working.During the second period, Aqua did not report any issues with the equipment but did replace the meter.  The technician obtained an actual read from the meter.  Sometimes the RF will not transmit if there is an object blocking it or some other form of interference.On both occasions Aqua rebilled the customer for actual water usage which they are permitted to do.  No adjustments will be granted to the account. The customer is currently on a payment arrangement to help pay this bill.

On April 30, 2016, Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] received a high bill for services rendered from March  23, 2016  to April 22, 2016 in the amount of $286.27.  Prior to contacting Aqua regarding the high bill the customer contacted a plumber to check the property for leaks.  No leaks were...

found. Ms. [redacted] contacted Aqua’s customer service center on May 2, 2016 and told the customer service representative that she had received a high bill, she also advised the representative that she had a plumber out and that he found no leaks at the property.  An appointment was set up for May 3, 2016 to have a technician visit the property to obtain a check reading.  The technician went out to the property and confirmed that the reading taken on April 22, 2016 of 13506 was incorrect and the reading he obtained on May 2, 2016 of 13067 was the correct reading. On May 4, 2016 Ms. [redacted] forwarded an E-Mail to Aqua in reference to the incorrect reading and charges.  She was advised that the bill was cancelled and rebilled on the correct reading obtained on May 2, 2016.  She was advised that a corrected bill would be generated within a week.  A bill was generated on May 5, 2016 for services rendered March 22, 2016 to May 2, 2016 a period of 41 days in the amount of $ 49.90 which is due May 27, 2016. Aqua does not reimburse customers for plumbing bills.  When the customer receives a high bill a HIGH BILL ALERT message appears on their billing statement stating” your usage appears higher than normal” If customers need additional information, they are provided with Aqua’s customer service center telephone number and or suggest that the customer visit the Water Smart section on www.aquaamerica.com.

The customer's pressure is 120 psi. This is the pressure for the entire area. The company does not have the ability to lower or increase pressure. Per the company tariff,  In accordance with the specifications of the Company, the...

Customer shall install a pressure reducing valve (PRV), to be set at a pressure not to exceed the applicable limits, as follows: 1) on the domestic service line when the pressure on the Company’s distribution system exceeds 100 pounds per square inch (psi); 2) on the residential fire service line when the pressure exceeds 100 psi; 3) on the commercial fire service line when the pressure exceeds 150 psi; or 4) when required in the discretion of the Company where it is believed that the pressure may exceed either limit. The Customer or his authorized agent shall check with the Company to determine whether a Pressure Reducing Valve is required prior to finalizing the design of the internal plumbing system. In all cases, the Pressure Reducing Valve must be installed at an approved location after the inlet control valve and before the Meter, but in the case of the domestic service line an additional Control Valve must be installed between the PRV and the Meter. If the customer doesn't have a PRV he needs to install one.

Aqua representatives were at the property on Wednesday, February 7, 2018.  The service line before the meter had a small leak that had not surfaced during the previous visit.  [redacted]’s septic system failed and required significant drain field extensions which covered his entire...

yard.  The soil in the yard stayed saturated and does not absorb water well especially during the extremely wet weather the state has experienced over the past few weeks (rain, snow, freezing temperatures) which made it extremely difficult to locate a small leak in an already saturated yard.  The leak was repaired on February 7, 2018.  We hope our customers understand that sometimes the weather can have a major impact on daily operations.  On behalf of the company, an apology is extended to [redacted] for the inconvenience.

Aqua records show that a technician was at the property on 1/13/18 at 10:08 am.  The work order also requested for the technician to call the customer 30 minutes prior to arriving.  There are no notes showing that the customer was told a call ahead option is not available.  According...

to the customer, the technician did not call.  Aqua apologizes for any inconvenience this matter caused.Aqua records show the water was turned on 1/20/18.  In addition, when the customer was transferred he spoke to a CSR II and not a supervisor.  Aqua apologizes if the customer feels they did not receive satisfactory customer service.

I do not accept the response from the company to resolve this Complaint. The company should have notified me that something was wrong with their equipment. In their response, they state: "There was most likely a problem with the remote and it didn’t transmit the reading from the meter."
"Most likely"? A better word would be OBVIOUSLY, a problem existed with the remote -- to the tune of $403 which they want me to pay for. I truly do not have that type of money. Therefore, the company's apology for their $403 "mishap" is unacceptable. I have paid half of this $403, but the company needs to take responsibility for this "mishap" and waive the other half (not that I expect that's going to happen.) I am going to have my property inspected for leaks because, as I stated in my Complaint, I do believe I am being OVERcharged for my water usage; I AM ONLY ONE PERSON.

Tell us why here...[redacted] contacted Aqua’s afterhours call center on Sunday, January 22, 2017 to report discolored water.  An Aqua technician visited the customer’s home on Sunday, January 22, 2017, the technician flushed the water line from the outside faucet. The line was flushed...

until the water was clear.   At this time Aqua North Carolina is not proposing filters for this system.The first quarter of 2017, the well is scheduled for maintenance.  The well will be taken out of service to clean and refurbish of the tank and possibly cleaning of the well.   The [redacted] subdivision system was flushed on January 25, 2017, and is scheduled to be flushed monthly throughout the calendar year 2017.Prior to flushing of the distribution system, customers are notified in advance. Flushing washes away naturally occurring minerals that might have deposited on the insides of pipes over time. The natural minerals are not unsafe but they can cause water to be discolored.  Because flushing could temporarily cause discolored water as it cleans out the pipes, it is recommend that customers store sufficient water for personal use before flushing begins.  Customers are also advised once flushing begins not to do laundry during the flushing period since the minerals could cause staining, especially on light colored items.  After flushing it is also suggested that customers flush water lines by running the outside spigot for a few minutes to help purge any sediment from entering household plumbing.  Flushing of the water heater is also suggested in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.  [redacted] filed a claim with the company on January 24, 2017.  The Claims department will review [redacted]’s claim and correspond with him via telephone or correspondence.  Please advise if you require additional information.

12/14/16 [redacted] called Aqua regarding a high consumption bill for December. He stated he checked the property for leaks and none were detected. The CSR created a work order to have the property inspected.
12/22/16 Aqua technician visited the property and found no issues with the meter. He obtained a read of 29585, which is in line with the previous read.
2/23/16 [redacted] called and stated [redacted] visited his property and found no issues. The CSR advised that the technician reported no issues with the meter.
[redacted] stated in the Revdex.com case that his plumber found a leak in the master bedroom toilet. He contacted [redacted] and they stated they were not responsible for any fixtures. [redacted] is an independent insurance company and is not affiliated with Aqua. Aqua cannot assist the customer regarding what the policy covers. The customer is responsible for the charges that were incurred for having the leak repaired as well as the consumption. Aqua does not provide leak adjustments. Any reimbursement request will need to be filed through [redacted]. Aqua apologizes for any inconvenience this matter has caused.