03.09 - Utility Billing Adjustment

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Pequot Lakes City Council Monday, December 28, 2015 Re: water bill/usage—Oct/Nov Please consider the facts and events below and our appeal for reconsideration of the October and November bills. We're respectfully requesting an adjustment that the outdoor water consumption be excluded from the sewer usage charge since that water was not processed through the sewage treatment system. We have maintained our home in Pequot Lakes at 3844 W.Grove St as a rental property.We had a tenant move out in August 2015 and the property remained vacant during September and early October. A new tenant moved in on October 15,2015.We became aware of an unusual water usage situation after the Oct 23`d reading and subsequent bill which arrived on Nov 5.The water usage measured by the meter for October was 91,600 gallons. (The prior usage for September was 0 gallons). Of course,this usage was a shock to all, and after review on several levels including on-site review with Andy Schwartz,of Pine River Area Sanitary Dist,as well as local tenured plumber, Bob Swanson,of Pequot Lakes,we have arrived at an explanation for the usage: • Tennant moved in Oct 15,turned on water valve to outside spigot/garden hose thinking it was incoming water(tenant believed the water was shut off due to home being previously vacant). • Reading on Oct 23' revealed 91,600 gallons of water used • On October 26th,the landscaping crew arrived on-site for fall clean-up and turned off outdoor spigot. • Bill received on Nov 5 prompted immediate review of all fixtures on premises • No fixtures were found to be faulty or showing signs of leaking Further validation: Ruling out all home fixtures(for leaks of any amount),tenant tested the flow of the outside spigot determining an approximate 8.4 gal/min flow.Subsequent calculations confirm that the excess usage was fully attributable to the outdoor spigot being inadvertently opened from Oct 15 until Oct 26. October Bill—total usage:91,600 gals Outdoor spigot flow(Oct 15—Oct 23 reading):90,680 gals(179.5 hrs=7.5 days) Average tenant household usage (Oct 15—Oct 23): 115 gals/day x 8 days=920 gals November Bill—total usage:42,700 gals Outdoor spigot flow(Oct 23—Oct 26 turn off): 39,135 gals(77 hrs=3.3 days) Average tenant household usage: 115 gals/day x 31=3,565 gals December bill has not yet been received but the reading on Dec 23rd was for a normal 2,800 gals. Thank you kindly for your time and consideration. Patricia Heald,owner