By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Individual water bill adjustments are now coming before the Columbus County Board of Commissioners, much like tax refunds and releases.

Commissioners decided Aug. 23 to keep it that way.

Commissioner Amon McKenzie asked if it would be easier if the total of all adjustments was reported by the month for approval instead of listing individual amounts per customer.

“Keep it with persons listed like we do with taxes,” Commissioner James Prevatte said.

“If you don’t see them by name you don’t know (whose bill) you are taking off of,” Interim Finance Director Leo Hunt pointed out.

Commissioners asked Public Utilities Director Leroy Sellers if shorter cutoff periods and stricter late fee and payment policies were working.

“It’s helped a lot,” Sellers said.

In May, 400 customers’ service was cut for nonpayment. By July that number had dwindled to 85, Sellers said.

Adjustments approved Thursday ranged from $4.20 for a penalty waived, to $400 for a meter read wrong. Other reasons included billing errors, posting errors, and customer leaks.

Total adjustment amounts varied by district and month with the smallest adjustment made in May for Water District IV totaling $10.50 and the largest total adjustments made in April in Water District 1 amounting to $592.

Water bills are mailed the last working day of the month and due on the 15th of the next month. Customers who do not pay the bill by that date are charged a $5 late fee.

Customers who do not pay by the 20th have their service cut off and must pay an additional $30 reconnect fee in order to have the water turned back on.

The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the more stringent set of rules for water bill adjustments, late fees and cutoff dates at their meeting held April 16.

Finance Officer Hunt recommended the changes after a review of water department data revealed that more than $96,000 in adjustments had been made to water bills from June to November 2006.

Many of those adjustments were in Water Districts II and III where residents pay special water district taxes for debt service that water revenue does not cover.