DOE BAY WATER USERS ASSOCIATION

Physical location: 3634 Pt. Lawrence Road

Mailing address: PO Box 28   Olga, WA  98279

Voice and Fax: (360) 376-4990

www.doebay.net

 

Doe Bay Water Users Association

Catastrophic Leak Policy

 

The Board will consider written requests for bill reductions due to catastrophic leaks on a case-by-case basis. Criteria used by the Board will include:

 

1.      Evidence that the leak was catastrophic in nature and not due to poor maintenance or overuse of water.

2.     Evidence produced by the member (e.g. receipts, inspections by DBWUA personnel) that substantive and permanent changes in a property have occurred that will likely prevent a repeat event. Since a spot repair of a weak service line is not likely to prevent a future leak somewhere else on the line, a complete replacement of the offending line using methods and materials approved by DBWUA is considered a substantive and permanent change.

3.     No request for a bill reduction has been received from the owner of the account within the last five years.

4.     The member is otherwise in good standing with DBWUA.

5.     The reduced bill will not be less than any bill presented to the customer in the last 12 months.

6.     The amount of the reduction is no more than the actual, reasonable and documented cost of the plumbing repair or the normal computation for reduction (below) whichever is less.

7.     In no case will the payment of a bill be deferred pending a promise by the member to repair/replace plumbing. All bills are due as rendered.

 

The normal computation for a reduced bill will be as follows:

The normal rate schedule with all remaining water consumed above the lowest rate step to be charged at the second lowest rate step + direct DBWUA costs (if any) = reduced bill.

 

Adopted by the Board of Directors on June 26, 2004.

 

 

Attest: ______________________________________

                                    President

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of eligible rebates

1.  A ruptured service line leads to 25,000 gallons of consumption. DBWUA renders a bill of $223 (0 to 6,000 gallons: no charge + 6,000 to 9,000 gallons @ $3/1,000 gallons + 9,000 to 12,000 gallons @ $8/1,000 gallons + 12,000 to 25,000 gallons @ $15/1,000 gallons).

The member replaces the line at a cost of $1,000. The bill is recalculated under the policy as (6,000 to 9,000 gallons @ $3/1,000 + 9,000 to 25,000 gallons @ $8/1,000 gallons) = $137.  DBWUA rebates the member ($223 - $137) = $86.

 

2.  A pipe in a crawl space ruptures and leads to 25,000 gallons of consumption (see calculations, above). The plumber charges $200 for the repair. Again DBWUA rebates $86.

 

3.  A pipe in a crawl space ruptures and leads to 25,000 gallons of consumption (see calculations, above). The member repairs the pipe for a total cost of $1.50. DBWUA will rebate the member $1.50.

 

4.     A ruptured service line leads to 25,000 gallons of consumption and is replaced entirely at a cost of $1,000. (see example #1, above). However, the previous year the member had used $200 worth of water in one of the months. The policy states that the bill cannot be less than any bill rendered in the last 12 months, so the rebate is ($223 - $200) = $23.

 

5.   A ruptured service line leads to 25,000 gallons of consumption and is replaced entirely at a cost of $1,000. (see example #1, above). Since DBWUA staff spent 1 hour (@$25/hour) helping the member find the initial leak, the rebate is reduced by $25 and the member is rebated ($86 - $25) = $61.

 

 

 

 

Examples of ineligible rebates: