Salisbury – Mayor Jake Day is pleased to announce that the City Council has adopted, by unanimous consent, Resolution 3030, amending the City’s water billing policy to grant a credit to account holders who receive abnormally-high water bills due to a leak, broken pipe, or other malfunction.
Previously, City policy mandated a maximum 60% credit for anyone who experienced a “non-beneficial” use of water. (Beneficial uses include, but are not limited to: watering landscaping, washing vehicles, filling pools or fountains, or any use which is outside of day-to-day household consumption.) In the event that a leak or other issue were to create an undetectable rise in consumption, the customer could request the credit, and have 60% of the balance forgiven. Under the new policy, up to 90% may be forgiven, based upon the severity of the leak.
“When you have months between bills, undetected issues can go from “small headache” to overwhelming financial burden,” said Mayor Day. “The goal is to make bouncing back from a plumbing issue more reasonable, financially. The last thing we want to see is homeowners broadsided with massive bills for issues they didn’t know they had.”
In order to qualify for the credit, an account holder must prove that they were able to determine the issue themselves, or have hired a licensed plumber to help diagnose and resolve the problem. Rates are determined based upon the amount of estimated overage. Account-holders may apply for the credit no more than once in any 3-year period.
“Especially in the midst of a crisis, unexpected financial hardships can be devastating,” added the Mayor. “By implementing these rate credits, we’re hoping to give our ratepayers a little peace of mind at a time when peace of mind is hard to come by.”
To pay a bill, or to utilize the City’s payment calculator, go to www.salisbury.md/departments/finance/pay