Some 3,600 city residents should expect a letter in the mail soon informing them of a water utility error that caused the past several months’ bills to be lower than they should be.
The error was caused by water meters that were installed without being reprogrammed after coming from the factory, said Henderson Water Utility General Manager Bart Boles
Those affected will need to pay a “catch-up bill” with an average of between $200-$250, he said.
“It’s an inconvenience, and we apologize for that,” Boles said.
The issue began last year as HWU was in the process of replacing water meters and the utility had to switch suppliers from United Systems to Core & Main. Boles said that United Systems had reprogrammed the meters before they were delivered to HWU, but the new company didn’t do that final step before HWU received the meters.
So, when the new water meters were installed for those 3,000-plus customers after the supplier switch, the system did not work properly. Boles said the meters recorded the correct usage at the home, but HWU—and the city’s billing department—saw was something different, Boles said.
The final digit of the number of gallons a customer used in a month was not seen, Boles said. For example, if a customer used 3,000 gallons in a month, then it was shown as 300 gallons.
That underreporting is going to affect customers differently. If a household uses a high number of gallons, the catch-up bill will be higher.
Customers with catch-up charges have the option to create a payment plan, if they choose, Boles said. He said the plans could range from three to 12 months but didn’t rule out something longer if a customer needed it. Those who would like to set up a payment plan can come in person to the billing area of the Municipal Building and talk to an associate there, said city of Henderson Public Relations Director Holli Blandford.
Currently, the affected water meters are in the process of being fixed. HWU started reprogramming those water meters in early December and thus far has completed about 1,900, Boles said. He expects all the water meters will be reprogrammed by the end of March.
The affected meters weren’t installed in one specific area of town, but most seem to be in the area around the hospital and north of it along North Elm Street and nearby roads, Boles said. He said he’s also seen residences in Balmoral and the East End that are affected. He added residents in other areas could also receive notices.
After the affected water meters are reprogrammed, HWU has about 3,000 yet to install before all the city’s water meters have been replaced, an initiative that began last year. Boles said of the final 3,000 water meters that “every single one of them” will be tested in-house before they are installed.
The city of Henderson also released this customer support information:
For more information or assistance with billing inquiries, affected customers can contact the city of Henderson at (270) 831-1200. Customer service representatives are available to discuss payment options and answer any questions from customers.
Henderson Water Utility is dedicated to working with customers to resolve any concerns and ensure fairness during this process. Customers can contact HWU at (270) 826-2421.
