Refusal or discontinuation of service by the
Water Department is restricted by certain provisions of the Connecticut
General Statutes. Copies of the applicable statutes are available
for inspection at the Department office. A brief resume of the restrictions
appears at the end of this section.
Termination proceedings may be started by the
Department for any of the following reasons and carried out subject
to the aforementioned restrictions. Service may be terminated upon
13 days' written notice, except that service may be terminated without
notice, again subject to certain restrictions, for the reason in Subsection
A below:
A.
A condition determined by the Department to be hazardous.
B.
Failure by a customer to comply with the terms of
any agreement whereunder he is permitted to amortize the unpaid balance
of an account over a reasonable period of time or any failure by such
a customer to simultaneously keep his account for utility service
current as charges accrue in each subsequent billing period.
C.
Failure of the customer to furnish such service, equipment,
permits, certificates or rights-of-way as shall have been specified
by the Department as a condition to obtaining service or if such equipment
or permissions are withdrawn or terminated.
D.
Failure of the customer to fulfill his contractual
obligations for service or facilities.
E.
Failure of the customer to permit the Department reasonable
access to its equipment during normal working hours.
F.
Failure or refusal of the customer to reimburse the
Department for repairs to or loss of Department property on his property
when such repairs are necessitated or loss is occasioned by intentional
or negligent acts of the customer or his agents.
G.
Customer use of equipment in such a manner as to adversely
affect the Department's equipment or the Department's service to others.
H.
When the Department has discovered that by fraudulent
means a customer has obtained unauthorized water service or has diverted
the water service for unauthorized use or has obtained water service
without the same being properly registered upon the Department's meter.
I.
Tampering with the equipment furnished and owned by
the Department.
J.
Violation of or noncompliance with the Department's
rules and regulations.
A.
Termination proceedings may be started by the Department
for nonpayment of a delinquent account, provided that the Department
has notified the customer of the delinquency and has made a diligent
effort to have him pay the account. A termination notice to a customer
whose account is delinquent will be mailed no earlier than 30 days
after mailing the original quarterly bill or 34 days after mailing
the original monthly bill. Actual termination of the service will
not occur earlier than 13 days after mailing the termination notice.
B.
The Department will not terminate service to a customer:
(1)
If the customer has an unresolved complaint or dispute
with the Department. Such complaint must be made to the Department
within seven days of his receipt of a termination notice.
(2)
If there is known to be serious illness in the home
of a residential customer. The Department must be notified by a doctor
within seven days of the customer's receipt of a termination notice,
and such notice must be confirmed by letter within a week after the
verbal notification. The customer is required to make an equitable
arrangement with the Department to pay up the delinquent part of his
bill and to pay all future bills on a current basis while the illness
continues.
(3)
If the customer is a landlord or agent for an occupied
residential rental property and the delinquent bill is for water service
to that property. If practicable, arrangements may be made with the
tenant for payment of bills for future service, and appropriate legal
action may be taken against the customer for the delinquent and current
amounts.
