Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County

Good afternoon. I received your letter dated October 28, 2017, referencing Complaint #[redacted].  We contacted the customer regarding the restoration of her property.  The customer stated that when the crew repaired the water line, her flowers were destroyed.  I was able to give...

her the monetary amount she felt would replace the flowers.  MAWC is also sending out a restoration crew to level the area and plant grass.  If you need any further information, please let me know. Kindest regards, Darlene *. W[redacted]Operations ManagerMAWC###-###-####[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
Edward [redacted]  I appreciate the response from Lynda M[redacted].  It, however, does not satisfy my complaint the my payments have been processed one day late in two instances recently, the September 30th payment, processed on Oct. 1, 2015, and the March 31 payment, processed April 1st.   As a long time customer of MAWC, I do not appreciate the delayed processing of my payments, which triggers an very substantial late fee, nor the rude, snide remarks from the customer service rep behind the counter that I should have my billpay folks make sure they send my payment on time.  As a self employed individual, if one of my employees was rude to one of my customers in that manner, they would be fired on the spot.  I have attached the most recent bill just received for a billing period of April 1 to June 30, 2016, with a very clear due date of June 30. 2016.  My bill pay system mails a check 5 to 6 days prior to the due date, to arrive on or before the due date.  It is odd that out of the nearly 100 checks that I send via this system, only MAWC seems to receive it a day late.  Per my conversation with customer service and management, I have the following questions.1.  It has been stated that checks received by mail are processed the same day.  If all checks are deposited on the same day then why is around the clock needed to process payments.  Technically, what do the folks do that are on the midnight to morning shift?   Are they processing checks that received the previous day? Then technically, if they stamp my check after midnight, it's the next day.   My mailman doesn't deliver mail after 5pm, does MAWC have around the clock delivery from the US Postal Service?2.  When my payment comes in, is it dated via the postmark on the envelope or check date like any other efficient business or taxing authority, or does it get removed from the envelope and get stacked up until the 2nd or 3rd shift gets to entering it?  Since my checks in with no account billing slip, just the last several numbers3. Most annoying, is the standard response I receive when I question the possibly that a payment could have been processed late.  As a customer, I expect that a person in a management position, would actually investigate the situation and get back to me rather than just spew out the canned response.  When I hear such a response that it is not possible, everything works like a well oiled machine, that throws up a red flag to me.  There's theory and then there is reality.  The theory is MAWC attempts to process payments same day, the reality is they do not, especially at crunch time for payments on the due date.   It appears there are some understaffing issues as well, not just in this instance, but also noticed while I was on hold on the phone this morning for over 30 minutes, and had to finally hang up without speaking to anyone.  I have the following suggestions in improving your customer service.   Change the due date for the billing period on your statements, in the case of the attached bill to April 1st, with a late fee added after June 30, 2016.  This clears up any confusion that there are actually 3 months to pay.  Put a note on there to the effect that please allow additional mail and processing time, as we get backed up at the quarterly due dates.

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]

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]

March 30, 2016Revdex.comAttn: [redacted]RE: ID #[redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]I reviewed the account and the recorded call on Monday, March 7, 2016. Mrs. [redacted] stated that she never received her bill and that she had never been late in...

paying her balance. Our customer service representative verified that MAWC has the correct mailing address. He also explained that there were previous late fees on the account.Based on our Rules & Regulations (page 30)SECTION XIII-GENERAL #92 SERVIING OF NOTICES: All notices and bills relating to the Authority or its business shall be deemed to have been properly served if left upon the premises of the customer or if mailed to the customer, directed to or left at his address as shown on the records of the Authority. Failure on the part of the customer to receive a notice or a bill following proper service by the Authority shall not excuse the customer for payment of all amounts due, including penalties for late payment.(a complete copy of our Rules & Regulations can be found on our website, www.mawc.org)Mrs. [redacted] stated she was not able to pay the bill on Saturday, March 5th because our office was not open. However MAWC offers several ways for customers to pay when our main office is closed. We offer a drive thru service that is available 24/7, automatic credit card payments over the phone 24/7 and credit card payments can be taken over the phone by an MAWC employee 24/7 (other payment options can also be found on our website, www.mawc.org).Mrs. [redacted] did make a payment in our office of $104.08 on Monday, March 7th. However she still owes the late fee of $5.20. This fee will remain on the account. Sincerely,  Lynda M[redacted]MAWCCommercial Superintendent

Review: Water authority is collecting Sewage service fees for another city in which I own property. I am provided with a bill and a due date at the end of each calendar quarter. I use an online bill payment service through my bank that delivers a check to the authority on or before the due date. On several occasions the biller claims the check was received a day after the due date and then tacks on a rather substantial late fee. It has happened more than once in the past, which has raised my suspicions that this is happening purposely or just do to under staffing for the billing department, since they are not only collecting fees for themselves but also other municipalities. Company management denies any inefficiencies and has denied my request to remove the late fee or rectify the situation.

I send out many, many checks each month from the same billpay service, and MAWC is the only one that claims they receive mail a day or two later than everyone else.Desired Settlement: Credit me the late fees I paid or am billed for on the bill due 9/30/2015 of $53 where they claimed they did not receive until 10/01/2015 and 3/31/2016 of $57, in which they claim they received 4/01/2016. total $110.

Business

Response:

April 15, 2016Revdex.comAttn: [redacted]RE: ID #[redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted],When MAWC took over The City of [redacted] Sewage accounts the Sewage policies, rates and billing schedule were also adopted. The City of [redacted] did not remove late fees. The reason for this is because the customer has three (3) months to pay each bill. MAWC has employees available 24 hours a day to process the payments and the payments are processed the day we receive them. Mr. [redacted] had late fees when the City of [redacted] still owned the sewage accounts and the City did not write them off.Mr. [redacted] was sent the following bills:Mailed___________ Billing Period Due_ Date_________________ Payment Received 4/10/2014 04/01 to 06/30/14 06/30/2014 07/01/2014 07/21/2014 (late fee paid) 10/07/2014 10/01 to 12/31/2014 12/31/2014 01/03/2015 01/29/2015 (late fee paid) 07/09/2015 07/01 to 09/30/2015 09/30/2015 10/01/2015 10/23/2015 (late fee paid) 10/06/2015 10/01 to 12/31/2015 12/31/2015 01/16/2016

Review: I recently sold a rental property located at [redacted]. After being on hold for 45 minutes, a customer service rep finally accepted my call. After telling the rep that I sold said property and needed a final meter reading. Rep scheduled this final reading be done before next wed, 1/14/16 AND STATED NEW OWNER MUST CALL THE WATER CO BEFORE the scheduled 1/14/16 date. I immediately notified the new owner to call (724-755-5800) BEFORE 1/14/16 so there would be no interruption in service. New owner called immediately and after a 45 min wait was told by customer rep that there is nothing that they can help him with as the previous owner (me) needs to contact them and then hung up on him after he said that she just talked to the company and got a 1/14/16 final meter reading. SO FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2 hours I again called the company and again after a 45 minute wait, was told by representative Joe that the new owner needs to call them. When I said he did and explained that rep requested that I call to get the service transferred and I don't have the time to keep this phone tag cycle going. Please connect me to your supervisor and he stated he can not do that. Therefore I'm EXTREMELY frustrated with the customer service at this public water utility. An unacceptable timeframe to actually talk to a warm body and your request being ignored which starts this endless time consuming cycle over.Desired Settlement: SIMPLY I want this utility company to provide me with a final meter reading and formally and officially put that account ([redacted]) into the new owners name ([redacted]. As a side note, more training is needed for their customer service personnel on how to deal PROFESSIONALLY with their clients.

Business

Response:

January 11, 2016[redacted]Revdex.com[redacted]ID#: [redacted](Water Account #: [redacted])Dear Ms. Gasser,I reviewed the phone calls from both the previous owner and the new owner. After the first call to have the account taken out of [redacted] name, an order to have the account shut off and finaled was generated for Wednesday, January 13, 2016.Approximately a half hour later the new owner [redacted] contacted our customer service department. He began to talk about the sewage bill that was sent to [redacted]. Our representative stated that she couldn't speak to him about the bill since his name was not currently on the account. During this time our organization was having technical issues with our phone system and the call was lost. The representative did not have a chance to gather [redacted] information to sign him up for service. Our customer service representative would have been glad to sign up [redacted] for service. The representative is competent and has the knowledge of our policies and procedures.The order has been generated and changed to leave the service on and transfer service from [redacted] to [redacted] on Wednesday, January 13, 2016.Sincerely, Lynda M[redacted]MAWCCommercial Superintendent

Review: I am the owner of a rental property at [redacted] My complaint is that Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC) failed to do its duty by terminating water service for non-payment of sewage resulting in an enormous sewage bill of $1,010.57, despite numerous requests being made by the Sewage Company and myself over an 8 month period.

The tenant stopped paying the sewage bill for this property but continued to pay the water bill. The sewage company which is the municipal authority of the City of McKeesport (MACM) sent numerous requests to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC) to shut off the water for non-payment of sewage. These shut-off requests began as early as January 2015 and were requested every 30 days up and until final shut-off on August 5, 2015. I tried contacting MAWC to ask why it took 8 months to execute the shut-off orders and their response to me was they have thousands of customers and emergency calls take precedence. I don't see how that response from MAWC can justify an 8 month waiting period for a simple shut-off order. I then contacted my local State Representative [redacted] and his office told me that the legislature has no control over MAWC, that they are basically immune. We are basically at the mercy of MAWC, I am not allowed to terminate the water coming into my own property and the sewage company (MACM) is not allowed to terminate the water for non-payment, we have no choice but wait for MAWC to do their duty.Desired Settlement: A billing adjustment is in order. This incident would have never taken place if MAWC would have performed their duty. It was a simple request, made numerous times. Additionally, I myself and the sewage company were barred from shutting off the water ourselves leaving us at MAWC's mercy.

Review: In march 2014 we had a water main break that was not our line the municipal authority was called to our residence. the work crew came out and repaired the line The crew topped the hole with stone and said they would come back in the Spring and cover the hole with top soil and seed and straw. It has been 6 months and they have not seeded my front lawn.It is a hazard because the lawn mower catches a stone and it could propels the stone into my front window and it is a falling hazard because the stones are sharp and an ankle could be sprained.The hole is sinking making the ground uneven to walk on may cause falling Please help us . I have called every month since March and no one answers the phone it goes to a voice box and my calls have gone unanswered. I call to see were I am on the list for repair and I am tired of calling. My elderly mother could slip and fall and break a hip. I am concerned. Thank you for addressing the problem. Desired Settlement: I would like the Water Authority Crew to come fix my lawn as promised

Business

Response:

I am writing in regards to the letter I received from your office. An error in our restoration system omitted the proper house number to be recorded. I spoke to Mrs. [redacted] who is the property owner at [redacted] and let her know of the error. The property was restored on 10-09-14 to the customers satisfaction. If there is anything I can assist you with please feel free to contact me.

Review: On Monday March 7, 2016 I received my sewage bill in the mail. This alerted me to the fact that I had not received my quarterly "postcard" bill from the water co. I immediately called MAWC where I was put on hold and call was not answered in stated time frame. As I know this co. Has a high late charge in relation to actual bill amount, I then went online and registered (first time since having this service for appx 11 years)so that I could see the amount and due date. The due date was listed as SATURDAY March 5th. I then called back to MAWC and this time stayed on line til someone finally answered. I explained the situation and stated that I did not think it fair to pay a $6 late charge on a water bill that I had not received. Additionally, it was due on a Saturday when they have no physical office hours. I asked them to check my acct so that they could see for themselves that for the entire time I had this acct I never pay late! I was courteously told that because they had mailed the postcard and I didn't pay by Saturday March 5th I had to eat the late charge. I was told they only forgive the late charge once and because they had forgiven mine once 10+ years ago under the same circumstances I would just have to pay it. I am going over there this afternoon , Monday March 7th to pay my actual bill plus the late charge. I can't help but wonder how many others were robbed by MAWC this quarter but I intend to make every attempt to find out.

Business

Response:

March 30, 2016Revdex.comAttn: [redacted]RE: ID #[redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]I reviewed the account and the recorded call on Monday, March 7, 2016. Mrs. [redacted] stated that she never received her bill and that she had never been late in paying her balance. Our customer service representative verified that MAWC has the correct mailing address. He also explained that there were previous late fees on the account.Based on our Rules & Regulations (page 30)SECTION XIII-GENERAL #92 SERVIING OF NOTICES: All notices and bills relating to the Authority or its business shall be deemed to have been properly served if left upon the premises of the customer or if mailed to the customer, directed to or left at his address as shown on the records of the Authority. Failure on the part of the customer to receive a notice or a bill following proper service by the Authority shall not excuse the customer for payment of all amounts due, including penalties for late payment.(a complete copy of our Rules & Regulations can be found on our website, www.mawc.org)Mrs. [redacted] stated she was not able to pay the bill on Saturday, March 5th because our office was not open. However MAWC offers several ways for customers to pay when our main office is closed. We offer a drive thru service that is available 24/7, automatic credit card payments over the phone 24/7 and credit card payments can be taken over the phone by an MAWC employee 24/7 (other payment options can also be found on our website, www.mawc.org).Mrs. [redacted] did make a payment in our office of $104.08 on Monday, March 7th. However she still owes the late fee of $5.20. This fee will remain on the account. Sincerely, Lynda M[redacted]MAWCCommercial Superintendent

Review: The water main on Morris Avenue in Irwin has broken at least 8 times is the past 3 years. All breaks have been in a 100 yard stretch of the road. After calling them multiple times, they refuse to actually replace the main that is the problem. This is a horrible inconvenience to everyone living in the area and makes it difficult to get ready for work in the morning with no water. They say they have a commitment to providing reliable service. I'd strongly disagree with that.Desired Settlement: I would like the MAWC to replace the main and finally fix the plague of water main breaks.

Business

Response:

April 10, 2014

Review: Received termination notice after paying bills, told that there was no termination notice. 3 [redacted]s later a MAWC service man shows up at my address to shut off my water, was forced to pay again. A lady by the name of Marie said I had not paid my sewage bill for 3 terms, which is virtually impossible. MAWC purchased the City of [redacted] sewage division less than 2 years ago, and also many errors to individual accounts. Harm is being placed onto the consumers due to faulty record and account keeping.

Called into the office several [redacted]s and spoke to a lady by the name of Marie, whom informed me she would pass my concerns on to the supervisor. After 3 [redacted]s off speaking with Marie, I have decided to file a complaint. Marie has been very rude, disrespectful, ignorant, and acts like she owns the MAWC. Furthermore she states the MAWC is not governed by anyone, and they can do as they please.

I would like to get along with this entity, however I do have rights like others do. In addition if this is the case, I believe I can find multiple individuals from several diversity groups who would be willing to proceed with a legal procedure to keep this entity honest. If a class action lawsuit is the answer, I have other residents from the City of [redacted] that are willing to proceed with me.

Best regards,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: To be honest, and be accountable for there actions toward the consumers. Holding customers at gun point is criminal, especially with no accountability or no one to govern them (MAWC). This is a very serious matter when an entity as this can operate with no accountability, because this is an essential requirement of a healthy life style, in addition to well being.

Business

Response:

March 30, 2016Revdex.comAttn: [redacted]RE: ID #[redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]Mr. [redacted] spoke to a customer service supervisor on Mon[redacted], March 7, 2016 at 2:38 pm. At that time the supervisor reviewed Mr. [redacted]'s water and sewage account. The supervisor agreed to send him copies of his account history.I have since then reviewed Mr. [redacted]'s accounts. His sewage account carried a balance in arrears each quarter. Unfortunately, Mr. [redacted] was consistently behind one or more sewage bills. Although he previously made payments to his sewage account, the payment amount would only cover the amount in arrears not the full balance owed.MAWC did not receive a payment for his water or sewage account until after our service person was dispatched to his property on March 16, 2016. Mr. [redacted] gave a check to the service person in the amount $229.70 to stop the termination of service. That check was processed. Mr. [redacted] also made an additional payment through the MAWC website on Sun[redacted], March 20, 2016. No other payments were made prior to the termination order being generated.On Mon[redacted], March 28, 2016 our customer service supervisor contacted Mr. [redacted] to discuss his accounts and the telephone conversations he had with our representative. The recorded telephone calls from Wednes[redacted], March 16 and Thurs[redacted], March 17, 2016 were also reviewed with the representative and her supervisors.I contacted Mr. [redacted] on Wednes[redacted], March 30, 2016 at 9:15 am. I explained to him that I reviewed the telephone conversations with the representative and I also reviewed his accounts. We were able to discuss his issues and his concerns.Sincerely, Lynda M[redacted]MAWC Commercial Superintendent

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards,

[redacted]The complaint [redacted]Has not been resolved honestly, and the supervisor did not reflect a positive response back to me. Instead the supervisor with the Municipal Authority Westmoreland County did knowingly steal more than $229.00 from my family and I. In addition the actions by the representative was supported, and no penalty whatsoever was rendered unto said employee(s) for very unprofessional behavior, which she did listen to the recordings.This must be documented for future reference, because other cases will following in time. With no oversight of an necessity for the public's best welfare, we as a community our at there mercy, and our Consumer Rights will continue to be violated, until some type of check's and balance's are introduced for the Public's well being and best interest.The answer given is very, very, far from the truth, and everyone in the county knows this. If you owe for your service, they will disconnect your service, and I have not ever been allowed to owe for several billion periods, nor anyone else. They purchased (MAWC) the sewage department from the city of [redacted], Pa. After which time they have been double billing customers to now erase the actual cost of buying the [redacted] Sewage Authority several months ago. Only with an actual audit will this erroneous crime committed unto the citizens of [redacted], Pa. be uncovered. However with no Public governing authority in place, this injustice of corporate corruption will go undetected until something is put into place (Water/Sewage State Commission) to protect the people who are the true victims of organized corporate corruption. We all need water and sewage services, and they incorporate them together now.My God keep them and their families, for he does know what they are doing, and have done. Nobody can hide their wrong from the Lord, and no amount of money is worth hurting the elderly and little children, or single mothers who struggle on a daily basis to live. Vengeance are mind said the Lord, and when God be for you, who can be against you. I close with, "Let your conscious be your guide! Do onto others, as you would have others do unto you!" God bless you.[redacted]

Review: I have been dealing with this issue since July 2013. My water meter has been constantly incorrectly read, resulting in me being over charged. And you pay a higher price for jumping from 2,000 gal to 3,000 gal. The following are my meter readings:10/04 to 11/08/13 841 to 843 which equals 2,000 gallons 11/08 to 12/11/13 843 to 845 which equals 2,000 gallons (however MAWC charged me for "and they say it was an actual read of" 843 to 848...there is only one person in my household and I spend most of my time at a friend's house. This is Totally Incorrect! In fact it was Jan 16 when my meter finally read 847.7. So how could it have read that in Dec??? They did not read my meter.)12/11 to 1/10/14 845 to 847 which equals 2,000 gallons (however MAWC charged me for 848 to 851, which is Totally Incorrect!)1/10 to 2/07/14 847 to 849 which equals 2,000 gallons. I then talked to "[redacted]" who said I would be created $9.10, which did not happen.The first column is what I was bill. The second column is what I should have been billed, which is a difference of $35.08.17.5417.540.330.33 (CAP)43.8517.540.340.34 (CAP)26.3117.540.330.33 (CAP)17.5417.540.330.33 (CAP)106.5771.49I have been reading my own meter because I have been getting double charged multiple times from 2009 on. (I am in the process of getting back paperwork showing where the double billings occurred.)I have tried numerous times to call this business and get no results.I want this taken care of. I also want my sewage bill to reflect these adjustments.Desired Settlement: I want the $35.08 credited to my account. Also I will need to have all the double billings (from 2009) credited to my account.Next I want MAWC to give the adjusted amounts to the Municipal Authority of City of McKeesport for my sewage. (And I want copied on the correspondence for my records.) And, in turn, I need the Municipal Authority of City of McKeesport to correct my billings.

Business

Response:

I reviewed Mr. [redacted]’s account. Mr. [redacted] is billed monthly. However we read the meter every

other month. In the McKeesport area, our billing rate is as follows:

0-2,000 gallons consumption = $17.87 (minimum bill)

All 1,000 gallons after the minimum =$8.77 per 1,000 gallons

In June 2013 our meter reader received an actual read of 831. Mr. [redacted]’s monthly bill for June 2013

was based on an actual read for consumption of 2,000 gallons. We billed him the minimum of $17.88.

July 2013 was Mr. [redacted]’s scheduled estimated bill. Again we billed him the minimum of 2,000 gallons

in the amount of $17.87.

In August 2013 our meter reader received a read of 837. Based on this actual read 4,000 gallons

consumption went through the meter. We are reading the meter correctly. We did not double bill this

account.

I also reviewed phone calls from Mr. [redacted]. He stated in his complaint that he has been dealing with

this issue since July 2013. However his first call concerning his consumption was on January 17, 2014.

He made previous calls on September 16, 2013 at 14:29 and on November 1, 2013 at 10:39. Both times

he discussed his payment history. He did not state he had an issue with the billing. He did state to our

representative on November l~, that he was living on his own since October 2011. After that time

period his consumption did go down.

During his call on January 17, 2014 he did mention about his consumption being too high for his

December 2013 bill. The 5,000 gallons that was billed was based on an actual read. However the

January 2014 bill was based on the scheduled estimated month. A credit was generated however the

dollar amount was not applied to the account. Mr. [redacted] was entitled to 1,000 gallons consumption in

money. As of today I put a corrected adjustment on to his account for $8.77. This is the amount of

1,000 gallons.

We also had Mr. [redacted]’s meter changed. On February 7, 2014 we installed a new radio frequency

meter which can be read from the outside. There has not been double billing on this account No other

adjustments will be given to this account. I have enclosed copies of Mr. [redacted]’s account history. If

you have additional questions or concerns, please let us know

Consumer

Response:

First they did not do an actual read every other month. I have paperwork showing three months that were estimated bills and one actual, which was read wrong.

They charged me for 5,000 gallons and in three months it caught up to that. But I was charged at the higher rate at the beginning. They charged me for 3,000 gallons the second month. And this was still not read right.

Here is the example (just from one page): Every time that there was a $35 amount, the amount should have been $17.87. This has been going on for a long, long time and I want this fixed now.

I need these charges corrected immediately and sent to me on paper so I can forward to the sewage company to get that straightened out also.

They gave me a new meter and my reading was still under the estimated reading by 1,000 gallons. And I still have not received any bill with the corrections made. Nor have I received the refund that I was promised by Mr. [redacted]. I was also double billed for several months with no corrections made to my account.

Business

Response:

I reviewed the account in question and as I previously stated, account [redacted] has been billed

Review: I received my quarterly bill as a I normally do and was five times higher than normal. I do submit the water meter reading each quarter but had my water meter changed in September 2014 because I was required to by MAWC. This quarter I did not receive a card in the mail to read my water meter that is located inside my enclosed garage, the digital meter can be read by MAWC from outside my home now. I have been submitting my own meter reading for a little over ten years now. My bill this quarter was $361.65 and normally is approximately $80 each quarter, I live by myself and do not use much water, I have also checked and I do not have any leaks in my home. I called MAWC and they said they do not have record of my returned water meter readings and they have estimated for each quarter for the last year and are now billing me for catching up for the past year. I have turned in accurate readings each quarter and it is not my fault for their error, I asked to speak with a Supervisor and have not received a return call back yet, the customer service rep said that person will tell me the same thing and I have to pay the bill. MAWC is at fault because it is their error and are trying to hold me responsible for. I feel that I should not pay this amount and do not want my water to be turned off.I have record of previous years also and my living has not changed in the last five and a half years, it is about the same usage each month for the past several years. Please help, thank you.Desired Settlement: I feel I should not be responsible for the bill of $361.65 that is due December 17, late charge would be the amount of $379.73. I normally pay approximately $80 for the quarter. Thank you.

Business

Response:

Previously Ms. [redacted] did submit her own meter readings for her billing cycle. I personally found two returned meter reading cards. One was dated March 1, 2014 and the other was dated May 27, 2014. We do not have record of the meter reading card for her August 2014 bill.Reviewing her account, the last card read MAWC used was for her bill in November 2013. Ms. [redacted] sent in a card read of 709. In November 2013 she was billed 11,000 gallons. For her February 2014 bill she sent in a card read of 719590 (720). The card was received late and her account had already been billed to an estimated read of 718. Our teller generated an adjustment to her account for the additional 2,000 gallons and sent out a corrected statement on March 12, 2014.A card was again left at the end of May and she returned the card with a read of 750800 (751). Again her account was billed before we received the card read. At that time the additional consumption based on the customer's read would have been 33,000 gallons. This was considerably higher than her average bill. Since the card read showed high consumption we send her letters stating that we needed in to verify the read and schedule a meter change.Again we do not have record of receiving the card read from August 2014. For the second time her account was estimated at her average consumption. Ms. [redacted] contacted our office and scheduled a day for us to change the water meter. At that time our service person was able to take a meter reading from the meter. Our service person recorded the out read of 782. Our service person stated on her order that she "double checked" the read of 782. The meter change was done on September 20, 2014. This was a month after the last billing date.Ms. [redacted]'s current bill is based on consumption for the old meter (44,000 gallons) and the new meter (12,000 gallons}. The 12,000 gallons of consumption on the new meter is based on two (2) months of a three (3) month billing cycle. In two (2) months Ms. [redacted] used more consumption than she had used previously in a full three (3) month billing cycle.Although we did not use the card read from May 2014, Ms. [redacted]'s reads prove that the consumption was going up. She states in her complaint she states, "I have turned in accurate readings each quarter". Based on her reads she should have been billed 31,000 gallons in May 2014 instead of estimated 9,000 gallons. When a meter is faulty it will slow down, not speed up. Our staff has explained to her how to check for toilet leaks. These leaks are not always heard. A dye test is required to determine if a customer has a toilet leak. We have also offered payment arrangements. There are no adjustments to be given on this account. The bill is based on actual reads from the meter obtained by our service person and the customer.Sincerely,

Review: I have payed my bill every quarter with bank records to prove said payments. I come home tonight 3/23/15 to find my water turned off. I'm looking at my current bill which has a due date of 4/2/15 and no mention of impending shut off. I call the customer service line, stay on hold for 30 minutes. Once someone finally answers the phone to which I cannot give his name because he didn't give one. My only thought is because he didn't want this coming back on him. For now I'll just call him [redacted].

Mawc proceeded to tell me that for shut off to occur multiple notices are sent, none of which I ever received. A certified letter was sent that was never picked up, mainly because I never got notice of a letter pick up. He then proceeded to tell me that for it to get turned back on I had to pay $258.31. The bill I have in front of me that has the dates From: 12-08 To: 3-10 and a Due Date of 4-02-15 has a Net Bill of 138.31. Mawc said that 120 of the 258.31 was for a deposit to get the water turned back on.

I demand to know why my water was shut off when the bill was always payed and I never received ANY notice of any kind not even a phone call to say that a shut off was pending.

With the new bill due on April 2nd below is a whole year listed with amounts paid. AGAIN how was the water turned off if payment was always made and not a single notice was seen or heard.?

Feb 02 2015 -- $80

Oct 16 2014 -- $100

Jun 16 2014 -- $50

April 16 2014 --$110Desired Settlement: I want an explanation from the MAWC. And a full refund NOT bill credit of the $120 charged to turn back on a service that should have never been turned off to begin with.

Business

Response:

March 27, 2015Revdex.com Attention: [redacted]

Dear [redacted],I reviewed Ms. [redacted]'s water account. Her water service was shut off on Monday, March 23, 2015 for nonpayment. At that time Ms. [redacted]'s account was in arrears for the amount of $52.20. The total amount was for $122.20 ($92.10 December bill + $4.61 late fee + $25.49 arrears) which had an original due date of December 31, 2014. A certified shut off notice was sent out on January 9, 2015 which added a $10.00 fee for a total of $132.20.The post office attempted to have the customer sign for the notice on three (3) different days (1/22/2015, 1/28/2015 & 2/8/2015). The notice was returned to our office "Unclaimed''. Copy of the notice is enclosed with this letter. The date of the shut off was January 29, 2015. Ms. [redacted] made a payment in the amount of $80.00 on February 2, 2015. However the water service can still be shut off if the balance is not paid in full.Ms. [redacted]'s past three (3) bills have carried "previous balances" (copies enclosed). Our bills show the amount in arrears and the current amount due. Our procedure is to send a bill, reminder notice and a certified shut off notice. Below explains our Rules & Regulations for termination of water service. A complete copy of our Rules & Regulations can be found on our website, [redacted].SECTION IV -DEPOSTIS #34 a:Deposits shall be required from all applicants who are indebted to the Authority or who have impaired their credit with the Authority in any manner.Section XI-BILLS, PAYMENT AND TERMINATION OF SERVICE #81: BILLS RENDERED AND DUE:If service is thus discontinued it will not be restored until all unpaid bills and required charges are paid. The Authority shall mail or deliver the bills and notices to the consumer at his address given in the application for service and the Authority shall not be responsible for the delivery thereto. Failure to receive bills will not be an excuse for nonpayment,Section Xlll-GENERAL

Review: The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has overcharged me twice on two consecutive 3 month billing cycles. I barely use any water and the first bill was $223.88 and the bill I just received is $181.95. Attempts to contact the company directly have been completely ignored. I cannot get into contact with anyone at the company. They know they can overcharge me because I cannot switch to another company, I am stuck with them.Desired Settlement: I want the bill to be recalculated.

Business

Response:

?????????I reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s water account. MAWC has billed her three times. Her first bill was a partial bill and the other two bills were

for a full quarter.

Ms. [redacted]’s water bills have all been based on actual reads. When a customer disputes a water bill we explain to the customer how to

check for leaks. The most common leak is a toilet leak. To check for a toilet leak the customer will need to do the test at night or

when no one is home for a few hours.

Coloring (food coloring, cola, coffee etc.) should be put into the tank of the toilet and left. If the toilet was not used for a few hours

and the coloring shows in the bowl of the toilet there is a leak. Toilet leaks are not always heard. We also explain to customer how

to check the reads on the meter. This should also be done at night or when no one is home. Take a meter reading (all digits from

left to right) before the customer goes to bed or before he/she leaves the home. First thing in the morning or when the first person

arrives back home a second reading should be taken again writing down all digits from left to right. If no one used water the read

should remain the same. If the read has changed, there is an internal problem.

We also offer a meter test to our customers. If a customer believes that the meter is faulty, we charge a $50.00 fee to test the

meter. If the meter test shows the meter is faulty we refund the $50.00 and replace the meter. If the meter test shows that the

meter is working correctly, we put the original meter back. When a meter is faulty the meter will usually slow down not speed up.

We are always willing to work with our customers. If the customer is using the water or has a leak and he/she has a difficult time

paying the bill, we offer payment arrangements.

There is no double billing on this account Our bills are calculated based on consumption. We charge a minimum balance based on

0-3,000 gallons. The minimum amount billed is $44.18 per quarter. Any consumption after the 3,000 gallons is billed $5.99 per

1,000 gallons used. Ms. [redacted] is billed based on the actual consumption that has registered on the meter. At this time there

are no adjustments for this account. If you have additional questions or need further information, please let us know.