The
State legislature has enacted Senate Bill 998 (“SB 998”) known as the Water
Shut Off Protection Act.It is intended
to help residential water users who lose access to water service due to their
inability to pay. It requires procedural protections before residential water
service can be discontinued for non-payment. These protections apply to water
service provided by an "urban water supplier," an "urban and
community water system," and a "public water system" as those
terms defined in SB 998 requires water suppliers to have a written policy on
discontinuation of services (Shut Off Policy), prohibits discontinuance until
accounts are a least 60 days delinquent, requires seven (7) business days'
notice before interruption, requires water suppliers to offer payment
arrangements to residents who cannot pay and are willing to make payments via
alternative methods, and other requirements.
The
City of Sanger was required to comply with SB 998 by February 1, 2020.