Western Municipal Water District

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/12) */
When we read the meter at this residence on 10/02/we discover the meter was not registering any waterThe meter had the same read from the previous monthWe created a service order to replace the register on 10/05/which was the following
business day a MondayThe operations department has a window of days to replace nonfunctioning metersPer local ordinance law# sections says the following: For nonregistering meters if the district finds a meter is not registering properly, charges for water shall be based on estimated usage for that period using the same month(s) in previous yearsIf the use history for that service is unavailable or inappropriate, a similar service history will be used
We always explain to the customers we need to follow district ordinances but we can always recalculate the bill in actual consumptionIf the actual usage at the new meter comes back lower than the estimated use we will cancel the bill and reissue a new billThe problem I see here the customer did not give Western the opportunity to do this for themThe meter replacement still pending and we can only recalculate the bill once the meter is replacedWe will contact the customer when the meter is replace and explain to them once again what the options are then
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/10/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
According to WMWD, the water meter reading from 10/02/was not accurate and was not registering water usage, in fact WMWD states the reading was the same from the previous monthWMWD proceeded to take an estimate from previous history and based their charges and water reading on past history from previous yearsNot during during the months water restrictions were implemented by Governor *** and customers have reduced their water consumptionWMWD did not give us prior notice to alert us to a problemThey did not telephone or sent mail correspondence to inform us our meter is not workingWe only became aware of the problem when we called to question our current billThey never physically inspected the water meter to verify the meter is in fact malfunctioning or their device not reading correctlyThey never took into consideration water rationing and water restrictions in our cityIf they would have physically inspected the meter they would have found the meter is in working orderThey would have also noticed the dead lawn in front and rear of the property to clue them on our water rationingThey are billing us first without investigatingAnd they are billing us at the highest water consumption readings from previous yearsThey are assuming the low readings are due to broken equipment and not water rationingOn 10/08/we spoke to a customer service representative at WMWD who refused to transfer our call to a supervisor and refused to give or hear our explanationShe could not tell us how they calculated our bill either only that it was based on an estimation, not actual readingOn 10/09/we physically inspected our meter and can verify the meter is registering a readWe took a reading, pictures, and video which show the odometer at XXXXXXXXOn 10/14/we took a second reading, pictures and videoThe odometer read XXXXXXXXAccording to WMWD, the meter is not registering a readIf that is in fact true, why is the odometer reading differentI believe WMWD is mistaken and their practices are unethical
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/10/14) */
As stated in my previous respond the meter replacement still pending and we can only recalculate the bill once the meter is replacedWe will contact the customer when the meter is replace and explain to them once again what the options are then

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/02/17) */
The Board of Directors establishes Western's water rates, fees and charges, and reviews them, along with staff, to ensure that Western continues to operate cost-effectively while delivering a safe, reliable water supply to your tap
The
water bill generally consists of water-use related charges and fixed chargesThe water use charges vary based on the number of "units" of water delivered to your property; one unit is equal to gallonsThese charges cover the cost for Western to purchase the water, which includes the cost of treating the water to ensure that it's safe to drink, and the cost of pumping the water to your propertyThe Water Reliability Charge is an investment in the safety, security and viability of our regional water system with generated revenue dedicated to funding projects related to increasing water system capacity and improving the long-term sustainability of the water supplyThe fixed system charge is a monthly fee that covers operations, maintenance, repair and replacement costs of the entire water systemThe MWD Readiness-to-Serve charge is a monthly fee that is paid to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD)Metropolitan Water District uses this revenue to help pay for emergency and standby storage facilities, such as Diamond Valley LakeThese facilities help ensure a safe, reliable water supply for our customers
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/02/17) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This does not address my complaintIt further explains some of the other fees and how you justify them but does not explain the gross excess in the amount of the fees as compared to a neighboring water company in the same area and what you intend to do about it
The fact that a "System Charge" exists that costs more than our actual monthly water usage is "THE complaint"Comparing slightly more water usage with our previous water co, the bill was less that half of what our new water bill with you is and the System Charge is clearly the culpritThere was no System Charge with them, but they somehow manage to maintain the safety and security of their systemsHardly seems legit to me and I'm calling shenanigans!

Account was disconnected 06-15-due to non-payment of April billAt the time, most recent payment was 03-08-Per recorded phone call on 06-15-16, customer agreed to have shutoff deposit waived by signing up for Auto Pay and paying remaining balanceAuto Pay was not enrolled in, and deposit
was not waived, but water was restored as a courtesyOn 07-15-customer disputed deposit, and did not want to enroll in Auto PaySupervisor informed her it will have to be paidCustomer again decided to enroll in Auto PayAuto Pay was not enrolled in, and deposit not waived
On 08-17-services were shutoff due to non-payment of bill due 07-25-Customer was again offered to enroll in Auto Pay to waive depositShe has enrolled, and deposit has been waivedAwaiting payment of remaining balance to have services restored
Ordinance which details shutoff criteria and deposit requirements is listed online, and can be emailed, faxed or mailed to customer per request
Transaction history which itemizes all these details, including dates and balances, can also be provided per requestInformation is also listed onlineEach bill specifies when payments must be received to avoid delinquency, fees and shutoff

Ms***, This email will follow up the message I just left for you on your voice mailThe Association of California Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority (ACWA JPIA) provides liability coverage to the Western Municipal Water DistrictAttached is a copy of the claim filed by Mrs
***’s husband, *** ***, on July 14, for $3,The damages listed were furniture, rugs, easy up, chairs, towels and inconvenience of not having a place to cook for a monthThe amount claimed was $3,The damages to the house itself was handled directly with Invitation Homes and had no bearing on the ***s’ claim/damagesThe repair estimate on the house had no relation to the damages to the ***s’ belongingsAlso attached is a copy of the signed Release of All Claims dated August 12, for $3,(same as the amount of the claim)A check in the amount of $3,was then issued to *** *** on August 22, If you need a copy of the cancelled check, please let me know and we’ll request for the bankLet me know if there is any additional information required and feel free to call me if you have any other questionsThank you *** ***, ARM ACWA JPIA Liability and Property Claims Manager