The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Board of Directors voted unanimously to eliminate an account delinquency fee.

The $45 fee charged customers who had two consecutive unpaid bills. OWASA had used the fee to recoup money from disconnections and reconnections for those customers.

OWASA said the elimination of the fee furthers the utility service’s priority on “equity of essential services for all customers.” The board said they wanted to eliminate the fee prior to the first possible disconnections of service in August now that OWASA is resuming standard collection practices.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity and a very positive step to move forward with eliminating the fee,” Board member Elmira Mangum said in a release.

OWASA collected an annual average of $33,615 from the fee between July 2016 and June 2019.

The elimination of the delinquency fee went into effect immediately.

 

Photo via Orange Water and Sewer Authority

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