Customers can now make payments for utilities and zoning with credit or debit cards...in office, over the phone and online!!!
|
| ||||
Village Office phone number: 740-743-2963
Fax number: 740-743-1105
Email: [email protected]
Clerk's hours of operation: Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday & Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.
See Below for documents and policies
Fax number: 740-743-1105
Email: [email protected]
Clerk's hours of operation: Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday & Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.
See Below for documents and policies
| Water & Wastewater Policy |
| Application & Property Owner Transfer Permission |
Water and/or Waste Water Customer Account Policy
Water and/or Waste Water Customer Account Policy
New Accounts Policy
Individuals requesting new service or transferring of service to another property or individual(s) must complete a new account application and pay a TWENTY-FIVE DOLLAR ($25.00) set-up fee. Customers are required to supply the legal name, mailing address, telephone number(s), and a copy of the title, lease, or a letter from the property owner indicating that the applicant is the primary resident of the property for which services are applied for. Also, commercial applicants are required to submit their identification number for the responsible party. It is the responsibility of the customer to provide updated information to the office as such information becomes available.
If water has been supplied to any premises, and afterwards it is found that false representation has been made by the applicant, or that water is being used in or upon the premises for purposes not set forth in the application made for water supply to the premises, the water shall be disconnected and shall remain disconnected until all unauthorized use of water has stopped, and any sum of money determined due for the use thereof has been paid and legal representation has been provided.
If two or more residences are utilizing the same water and/or wastewater tap, they will be charged for multiple units.
Bill Payment Timeline
Bill Sent By 1st of the month
Bill Due By 15th of the month
Penalties Added On 16th of the month, or first business day following the 15th
Late Payment and Disconnected Service Penalties Policy
Payments are applied to the oldest outstanding balance first. The penalty date is printed on the bill as the next business day following the due date. A penalty of 10% of the unpaid balance is applied to any unpaid balance remaining as of the penalty date.
Failure to receive a bill does not excuse timely payment. Customers can call into the office during regular business hours (Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) to check the balance owed on their account.
Customers not satisfying the outstanding balance in full, including penalties, within 36 days of the past due date will have service disconnected. The service will not be restored until the balance is paid in full, plus, a disconnection fee of ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00). In order to avoid services from being disconnected, you may contact the office to set up a payment agreement before the due date. Eligibility to sign a payment agreement requires, fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding balance must be paid, and the agreement must be signed prior to the disconnection date.
Disconnection of service does not relieve the customer of the obligation to pay all outstanding bills and charges. Where service has been disconnected for lack of payment, meters are checked regularly to ensure that the meter is not tampered with. All additional fees and penalties, including unauthorized usage penalties, are applied as stated in this document.
Past Due Bill Payment Agreements
Account holders that are unable to pay a delinquent balance on an account will be able to continue receiving service as long as a payment agreement is set up at the office before the due date of the bill or disconnection notice. Agreements are not valid if the balance owed is due to unauthorized usage of utilities. Account holders are only permitted one (1) agreement per year, and the current bill must be paid in full in addition to the agreement amount.
Disconnection of Water Service
Prior to water and/or wastewater service being disconnected, the Village of Somerset Water & Wastewater Department will provide notice to the customer either by phone, letter, or orange door hanger. Water service may be disconnected by The Village of Somerset Water & Wastewater Department for the following reasons: delinquent water and/or wastewater accounts as mentioned above, request by a customer, the Village has discovered evidence of meter tampering, theft of services or fraud, failure to install remote reading meter(s), or failure to have installed meter(s) and/or lines inspected, failure of customer to permit the Village access to the meter, and anytime the Village deems it is necessary for the health, wellbeing, and safety of its citizens.
A customer has the right to attend a Board of Public Affairs (BPA) meeting to discuss their disconnection. BPA meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm in the Village Offices.
Property Owners Responsibility for Unpaid Bills
Owners of property shall be held responsible for water & wastewater services used on their premises, but payments will be accepted from tenants. In case tenants do not pay, the property owner shall be held responsible for paying the bill in full in accordance with this policy. If a tenant moves out, and the Village was not requested to provide a final reading and/or have water service terminated by either the tenant or property owner, the property owner shall pay the final bill in full in accordance with this policy, provided the property owner settle the account within 15 days after service is disconnected. Before we can transfer property to a new tenant, all arrearages must be paid by the property owner.
Access to the Property or Building
Meter readers, inspectors, or employees who are authorized by the Village of Somerset’s Water & Wastewater Department must be allowed access, at all reasonable hours, to areas on the property in order to change or repair meters, observe how water is being used, or examine water fixtures. If anyone fails to give the meter reader, inspector, or employee admittance, services will be disconnected, and a disconnection fee of $100.00 must be paid in order to restore service.
Returned Checks
A returned check is any check tendered to The Village of Somerset which is subsequently dishonored by the drawee bank. Returned checks will be reviewed by The Village of Somerset Clerk, and the Clerk will examine that account. In the instance of no prior returned checks or when only one instance has occurred within the last 12 months, the customer is charged a returned check fee of FIFTY DOLLARS ($50.00). A phone call will be placed to the customer’s residence or business by the Clerk of the Water & Wastewater Department indicating that the customer has five (5) business days to remit full payment and payment must be settled within the current month. Payment must be made by cash, money order, or bank certified check. If payment is not made within five (5) business days, service will be disconnected until all arrears are paid, plus the ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00) disconnection fee.
If a returned check is received in payment of a delinquent account that had been scheduled for disconnection due to non-payment, or an account that had been disconnected due to non-payment, service is disconnected immediately, and an additional ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00) disconnection fee is charged to the account.
If a check is returned for a customer, who has two (2) instances of returned checks within a 12- month period no checks will be accepted for payment on the account. The account must be paid by cash, money order, or bank certified check.
Unauthorized Usage Penalties
Tampering with Water Meter-Where the water has been disconnected due to non-payment but is being received by tampering with the water meter, a fee of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($125.00) will be charged to the account in connection with the replacement of a locking device on the water meter. This fee will be in addition to any other fee previously assessed.
Tampering with the Curb Box-Where water is disconnected at the Curb Box due to non-payment, but is being received through tampering with the curb box, a fee of the actual cost to repair/replace the curb box will be charged to the account in connection with other fees previously assessed.
Tampering with Locking Device-Where a locking device placed on a water meter has been broken or otherwise made ineffective, a fee of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($125.00) will be charged to the account in addition to any other fee previously assessed.
Unauthorized Meter or “Straight Line”- Where a water meter has been removed, and water is being obtained through an unauthorized meter or straight line,” a fee of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($125.00) will be charged to the account in addition to any other fee previously assessed.
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW FOR THEFT OF SERVICES.
REVISED AND APPROVED BY BPA 02/07/2017
New Accounts Policy
Individuals requesting new service or transferring of service to another property or individual(s) must complete a new account application and pay a TWENTY-FIVE DOLLAR ($25.00) set-up fee. Customers are required to supply the legal name, mailing address, telephone number(s), and a copy of the title, lease, or a letter from the property owner indicating that the applicant is the primary resident of the property for which services are applied for. Also, commercial applicants are required to submit their identification number for the responsible party. It is the responsibility of the customer to provide updated information to the office as such information becomes available.
If water has been supplied to any premises, and afterwards it is found that false representation has been made by the applicant, or that water is being used in or upon the premises for purposes not set forth in the application made for water supply to the premises, the water shall be disconnected and shall remain disconnected until all unauthorized use of water has stopped, and any sum of money determined due for the use thereof has been paid and legal representation has been provided.
If two or more residences are utilizing the same water and/or wastewater tap, they will be charged for multiple units.
Bill Payment Timeline
Bill Sent By 1st of the month
Bill Due By 15th of the month
Penalties Added On 16th of the month, or first business day following the 15th
Late Payment and Disconnected Service Penalties Policy
Payments are applied to the oldest outstanding balance first. The penalty date is printed on the bill as the next business day following the due date. A penalty of 10% of the unpaid balance is applied to any unpaid balance remaining as of the penalty date.
Failure to receive a bill does not excuse timely payment. Customers can call into the office during regular business hours (Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) to check the balance owed on their account.
Customers not satisfying the outstanding balance in full, including penalties, within 36 days of the past due date will have service disconnected. The service will not be restored until the balance is paid in full, plus, a disconnection fee of ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00). In order to avoid services from being disconnected, you may contact the office to set up a payment agreement before the due date. Eligibility to sign a payment agreement requires, fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding balance must be paid, and the agreement must be signed prior to the disconnection date.
Disconnection of service does not relieve the customer of the obligation to pay all outstanding bills and charges. Where service has been disconnected for lack of payment, meters are checked regularly to ensure that the meter is not tampered with. All additional fees and penalties, including unauthorized usage penalties, are applied as stated in this document.
Past Due Bill Payment Agreements
Account holders that are unable to pay a delinquent balance on an account will be able to continue receiving service as long as a payment agreement is set up at the office before the due date of the bill or disconnection notice. Agreements are not valid if the balance owed is due to unauthorized usage of utilities. Account holders are only permitted one (1) agreement per year, and the current bill must be paid in full in addition to the agreement amount.
Disconnection of Water Service
Prior to water and/or wastewater service being disconnected, the Village of Somerset Water & Wastewater Department will provide notice to the customer either by phone, letter, or orange door hanger. Water service may be disconnected by The Village of Somerset Water & Wastewater Department for the following reasons: delinquent water and/or wastewater accounts as mentioned above, request by a customer, the Village has discovered evidence of meter tampering, theft of services or fraud, failure to install remote reading meter(s), or failure to have installed meter(s) and/or lines inspected, failure of customer to permit the Village access to the meter, and anytime the Village deems it is necessary for the health, wellbeing, and safety of its citizens.
A customer has the right to attend a Board of Public Affairs (BPA) meeting to discuss their disconnection. BPA meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm in the Village Offices.
Property Owners Responsibility for Unpaid Bills
Owners of property shall be held responsible for water & wastewater services used on their premises, but payments will be accepted from tenants. In case tenants do not pay, the property owner shall be held responsible for paying the bill in full in accordance with this policy. If a tenant moves out, and the Village was not requested to provide a final reading and/or have water service terminated by either the tenant or property owner, the property owner shall pay the final bill in full in accordance with this policy, provided the property owner settle the account within 15 days after service is disconnected. Before we can transfer property to a new tenant, all arrearages must be paid by the property owner.
Access to the Property or Building
Meter readers, inspectors, or employees who are authorized by the Village of Somerset’s Water & Wastewater Department must be allowed access, at all reasonable hours, to areas on the property in order to change or repair meters, observe how water is being used, or examine water fixtures. If anyone fails to give the meter reader, inspector, or employee admittance, services will be disconnected, and a disconnection fee of $100.00 must be paid in order to restore service.
Returned Checks
A returned check is any check tendered to The Village of Somerset which is subsequently dishonored by the drawee bank. Returned checks will be reviewed by The Village of Somerset Clerk, and the Clerk will examine that account. In the instance of no prior returned checks or when only one instance has occurred within the last 12 months, the customer is charged a returned check fee of FIFTY DOLLARS ($50.00). A phone call will be placed to the customer’s residence or business by the Clerk of the Water & Wastewater Department indicating that the customer has five (5) business days to remit full payment and payment must be settled within the current month. Payment must be made by cash, money order, or bank certified check. If payment is not made within five (5) business days, service will be disconnected until all arrears are paid, plus the ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00) disconnection fee.
If a returned check is received in payment of a delinquent account that had been scheduled for disconnection due to non-payment, or an account that had been disconnected due to non-payment, service is disconnected immediately, and an additional ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00) disconnection fee is charged to the account.
If a check is returned for a customer, who has two (2) instances of returned checks within a 12- month period no checks will be accepted for payment on the account. The account must be paid by cash, money order, or bank certified check.
Unauthorized Usage Penalties
Tampering with Water Meter-Where the water has been disconnected due to non-payment but is being received by tampering with the water meter, a fee of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($125.00) will be charged to the account in connection with the replacement of a locking device on the water meter. This fee will be in addition to any other fee previously assessed.
Tampering with the Curb Box-Where water is disconnected at the Curb Box due to non-payment, but is being received through tampering with the curb box, a fee of the actual cost to repair/replace the curb box will be charged to the account in connection with other fees previously assessed.
Tampering with Locking Device-Where a locking device placed on a water meter has been broken or otherwise made ineffective, a fee of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($125.00) will be charged to the account in addition to any other fee previously assessed.
Unauthorized Meter or “Straight Line”- Where a water meter has been removed, and water is being obtained through an unauthorized meter or straight line,” a fee of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($125.00) will be charged to the account in addition to any other fee previously assessed.
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW FOR THEFT OF SERVICES.
REVISED AND APPROVED BY BPA 02/07/2017