Residential water and sewer customers in the Town of Sneads may soon see an increase in their bills for usage in excess of 12,000 gallons per month.
At the regular June meeting of the Sneads Town Council this past Tuesday, Town Manager Lynda Bell reported to council members that she discovered a flaw in the billing process.
“The town may be providing free services, and that needs to be corrected,” Bell told the council Tuesday.
Council President Helen Grice agreed, pointing out that the current practice may be “in violation of the ordinance and the bond.” Currently, customers get a break on water usage for any amount more than 12,000 gallons per month, and that affects the sewer line usage.
Though no concrete action was taken on the matter Tuesday, council members seemed to realize Tuesday night that they may have to remove the “sewer cap” and notify customers that they will be charged for the excessive use. The council discussed including notices with the next water and sewer bills, but agreed to wait until the next meeting to take action.
Sneads Deputy Clerk Danielle Guy pointed out that those most affected by the increase would be customers that have faulty toilets or other facilities or people who may be watering lawns. The increase would be $2.15 per 2,000 gallons, she said.
