Doe Bay Water Users Association

The purpose of this policy is to establish the criteria, rules, and procedure to be followed when service to members is discontinued. Currently, the Bylaws only provide for the termination of a membership which is an extreme remedy for many infractions.

This policy applies to all members and of the Doe Bay Water Users Association (DBWUA).

Directors and Staff of the DBWUA are responsible for understanding and adhering to this policy. It is understood that the member is responsible under this policy for all actions of renters, agents, contractors, family, and others relating to the member’s water service.

DBWUA may refuse to connect or may discontinue service for any of the following reasons:

1. Violations of any of its policies, rules, regulations, Bylaws or Association interpretation thereof.
2. Failure to comply with standards or to install required materials.
3. Use of water in a hazardous manner.
4. Failure to pay charges for service when due.
5. Failure to pay, when due, any charge set forth on DBWUA’s rate schedule or contract.
6. Theft of water or any other service.
7. Illegal diversion of water.
8. Improper use of water as determined by DBWUA.
9. Failure to pay for damage to DBWUA’s property.
10. Use of water other than as represented in the application.
11. Illegal connections on the street side of the meter or the place reserved for the meter.
12. Any willful waste of water by improper or imperfect pipe or by any other means.
13. For tampering with any service pipe between the main and the meter, seal, meter, valve, or any appurtenance owned by DBWUA.
14. Cross-connecting pipes carrying water supplied by DBWUA with any other source of supply or with any apparatus which may endanger the quality of DBWUA’s water supply or which may affect the quality of DBWUA’s water supply as stated in WAC 246-290, State of Washington.
15. The use of water without benefit of approved application, meter, or other means for paying for such use.
16. Refusal to permit reasonable access to the property by DBWUA staff for purposes of reading, repairing, testing, or removing meters or inspecting water piping or other fixtures, or ensuring an appropriate use of water.
17. Failure to follow the conditions of an approved application or any appropriate state sanitary code.
18. In the event that an authorized fire marshal, fire chief, building inspector, peace officer, or officer of a court with jurisdiction in the DBWUA service area has delivered a written order that water service to a premises be discontinued as a result of violation of an applicable rule, statute, or law.
19. Failure to comply with directions to reduce water consumption because of drought, emergency, conservation programs or other similar circumstances.

The discontinuance of service for any of these causes does not release the member from the obligation to pay for water received, for charges specified in any contract or rate schedule, or to correct the condition in question.

When discontinuing service, DBWUA shall comply with the following procedure:

1. DBWUA must first notify the member and the Board of Directors in writing of the cause for discontinuance, corrective action(s) required, and/or the amount due.
2. All notices issued under this section must be either hand delivered by any person over the age of 18 or mailed by postage prepaid, certified (return receipt requested) mail. This method of notification is not required in the event of emergency conditions or threat (real or potential) to the health of consumers or a threat (real or potential) to the integrity of the water system.
3. Ten days after an appropriate notice has been presented to the member or ten days after the first attempt to deliver an appropriate notice to the customer has been made, water service may be discontinued or disconnected by DBWUA unless all charges in full have been paid and/or remedial actions taken.
4. Prior to restoration or reconnection of service, the member must pay all fees and charges due. Additional charges will apply if restoration occurs during other than regular business hours or if discontinuance of the service has required removal of DBWUA equipment from the customer’s premise or if closing the meter stop or turning off the water elsewhere involves any unusual expense. Additional charges to the customer include overhead, legal expenses, and any abnormal costs incurred by DBWUA for the discontinuance and restoration of service. Additional charges will also apply for any damage to DBWUA equipment during discontinuance or restoration of service.

Any unauthorized restoration of service will result in charges for consumption estimated at DBWUA’s sole discretion . DBWUA shall also have the right to excavate and either turn off or remove the corporation stop at a charge to the member.

Any member whose water has been discontinued under these provisions must agree to comply with reasonable requirements as set forth by DBWUA in order to protect DBWUA from further loss.

Day 1: First billing mailed with the due date identified.

Day 30: The bill becomes delinquent. A $10 late fee is added. Customer is notified.

Day 60: Second $10 late fee is added to the bill. The customer is served notice by certified mail or hand delivery that discontinuance will follow in ten days after delivery or first attempted delivery by the Post Office. There is a $20 fee for the certified latter.

If discontinuance occurs, a $50 turn-on fee will be added to the amount due and is also payable before service will be restored. If the restoration is required by the customer during other than normal working hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday), then the turn-on fee will be $75.