2021 -- S 0628

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LC002360

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE RHODE ISLAND AUDITOR GENERAL’S

OFFICE CONDUCT A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE KENT COUNTY WATER

AUTHORITY (KCWA)

     

     Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Gallo, Rogers, Burke, Valverde, Anderson, Morgan,
Calkin, DiMario, and McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: March 16, 2021

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

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     WHEREAS, During the previous nine months, some customers of the Kent County

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Water Authority (KCWA) have received troubling and abnormally high water bills compared to

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prior billing quarters. Often the increases seem entirely unjustified based upon their usage history.

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One customer’s bill increased from $194.60 to an astounding $1,054.35; and

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     WHEREAS, Several residents suffering from this predicament were encouraged by the

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KCWA to change their water meters and several of the customers who installed new Neptune

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brand T-10 water meters have been the recipients of these bill increases. The Neptune brand T-10

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water meter has been the source of similar complaints in other jurisdictions across the nation; and

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     WHEREAS, The Kent County Water Authority has been asked, in response to this crisis,

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to enact measures to ensure fair and accurate meter readings such as providing independent, third

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party testing of the water meters in dispute, prohibiting water shutoffs on accounts with disputed

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bills, prohibiting any interest charges being assessed on any current or future bills in dispute,

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regardless of final resolution, prohibiting the comingling of bills for old and new meters,

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suspending any bill in dispute that is thirty percent or more than the same quarter in the previous

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year, placing such bills in escrow until the issue has been resolved fairly, and providing on the

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spot documentation of old meter readings to consumers when they are replaced, so the consumer

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has a photograph, receipt and point of reference when receiving a new bill; and

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     WHEREAS, Thus far, the KCWA has not responded to these reasonable requests. At the

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same time, KCWA customers are being placed under significant financial hardship during a

 

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pandemic when they can least afford it; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby respectfully requests

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that the Rhode Island Auditor General’s Office conduct a thorough review of the Kent County

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Water Authority; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Dennis Hoyle, CPA, MBA, Rhode Island

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Auditor General.

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LC002360

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