SSWSC – COVID-19 Informational Bulletin #3

by Herb Williams, General Manager

April 14, 2020

Everyone at S.S. Water Supply continues to hope that our Members and surrounding communities are staying healthy and doing as well as can be done during this uncertain time.

S.S. Water Supply Corporation held an online regular board meeting last night, April 13, 2020. We are aware of the challenges that our Membership has or will see in the coming weeks due to the economic shutdown. As a result of that, a proposal was presented to the Board of Directors to take action to help our Members who may be having financial difficulties, and was passed. For those Members that are requiring assistance and reach out to our office staff before or by the 10^th of the month, there is a form available to temporarily suspend water service cut-off and late fees to those whose bills total no more than $75.00. Also, in an effort to have Members pay their bills using either the online and pay by phone system, the Board of Directors also approved temporarily waving the convenience fees associated with those methods for the next two (2) billing cycles – bills that will be due May 10 and June 10, 2020.

These proposals specify that the temporary suspension of late fees and water meter cut-off rules will not be automatic, but must be requested by the account owner no later than the 10^th of the month, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  All account holders requesting relief will have their accounts reviewed to ensure that the other Members on the system do not subsidize fraudulent or unwarranted relief requests, and that all account holders receiving this relief will also agree to follow the strictest water conservation efforts and agreement of a due date for the bill amount deferred.  Lastly, all water revenue will continue to accrue with the expectation it will eventually become due.

As published previously, we need everyone to conserve as much water as possible, since we don’t know how long this situation will last.  We are currently maintaining normal levels of service, but there are many things outside of our control that could change that; like reduced access to water treatment chemicals.  Please monitor your water usage, and be vigilant for possible water leaks.  While our system can detect continuous consumption in most cases, it is ultimately up to the Member to be aware of any issues in their water distribution system.

Again, we want to stress to those Members needing help with paying water bills or those who might be needing help in the near future to please contact our office as soon as possible so our staff can work with you.  Our office lobby is currently closed, but our drive-thru remains open and our Staff can still be reached by telephone or email Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Respectfully,

Herb Williams