Town of Bedford, NY Rates and Bills

Water rates for the water districts shall be set by the Town Board and listed in the Town Fee Schedule. The Town Fee Schedule is on file in the office of the Town Clerk.

All bills are payable one month from the date of the billing statement. Any bill not paid within 30 days shall be delinquent.

Each meter shall be read four times per year, at the close of each subscriber's billing period, following which each subscriber shall be billed for the amount of water consumed.

The billable quantity shall be the quantity of water recorded by the meter and shall be binding on both the consumer and the Department (as defined in § 121-4, of the Code of the Town of Bedford), except where it appears that the meter has ceased to register or has registered inaccurately.

(1)

When a meter is found defective, the Water Department shall repair, test and properly adjust the meter as soon as possible.

(2)

In the instance where it is found that the meter has ceased to register, the Department may issue an estimated bill for the billing period immediately preceding the date when such meter was found defective and for the period from said date to the date of replacement of the meter. The estimated bill shall be based upon the amount of water consumed in the corresponding period in the prior year. If there is no applicable corresponding billing period due to a change in occupancy of the premises, change in the use of water or where no prior experience exists, the estimated bill may be determined by the average registration of an operating meter in subsequent periods or by equitable adjustment, whichever method is determined to more accurately estimate the conditions existing during the period in question.

Each meter on the owner's premises shall be read and billed separately. The reading and billing of two or more meters will not be combined unless specifically provided for in the rate schedule or unless the Water Department's operating convenience requires the use of more than one meter or a battery of meters.

Each bill is due and payable on or prior to its due date. If a bill remains unpaid after two billing periods from the date payment was due, the Water Department or its agents may discontinue water service to the customer, and service will not be reestablished until all unpaid charges, including penalties, as elsewhere provided herein, are fully paid.

An initial penalty charge equal to 5% of the total amount of the bill shall be added to any delinquent bill. A penalty of 1% per month shall be applied if the bill remains delinquent for subsequent months.

Delinquent bills which remain unpaid at the end of the subsequent billing period shall be added to and included in the total amount of the subsequent billing period's bill.

Following the end of each of the Town's fiscal years, the total balance of any delinquent account which remains outstanding as of the first Friday in March of the subsequent fiscal year shall be deemed to be assessed against the property serviced under the account as a lien, and the Receiver of Taxes shall, when extending the next general tax upon the Town assessment roll, place unpaid amounts thereon as against said property, and such amounts shall be collected at the same time, in the same manner and by the same proceedings, as other taxes on said roll.

At the time of transfer to the tax roll, delinquent accounts which are to be added to the tax rolls shall be assessed an additional penalty equal to 10% of the total outstanding balance to defray the costs of transferring such accounts to the tax rolls.

The owner shall be held responsible for all bills. Failure to receive a bill shall not be considered as an act of waiver of payment by the Water Department.

The Water Department may enforce the collection of water rates by cutting off the supply of water when any bill is 60 days in arrears.