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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Water Authority; and be it further

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

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

Auditor General.

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LC002360

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