Water Bill Issues Related to Hurricane Sandy

On Nov. 30, Mayor Bloomberg and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Carter H. Strickland Jr. announced that the city would temporarily suspend water bills for properties that were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Properties that had been deemed beyond repair by the DOB wouldn’t have to make a monthly payment until June 2013, and fees for water service lines that had to be disconnected because of the hurricane would be waived, as would interest accruals on delinquent accounts and collection actions for affected properties, including automated calls and delinquency mailings, until June 1, 2013.

The announcement also stated that DEP would review all affected accounts to ensure that they’re accurately billed for use and will automatically remove charges associated for leaks caused by storm damage. But at a recent meeting of the New York City Water Board, members stated that they were still receiving complaints from customers related to their water bills and Hurricane Sandy.

The board reiterated that if your property was damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Sandy and has experienced a spike in water usage on or after Oct. 29, 2012, due to the storm, you may be eligible for a bill review and reduction. Damaged or destroyed properties must be located within the “Yellow” or “Red” damage zones to be eligible for the minimum billing rate of $1.19 per day from Oct. 29 through Nov. 28, 2012. Requests for this billing review may be made by phone, in writing, by email, or online:

• By phone: (718) 595-7000;
• By mail: DEP Customer Services; Billing Review; P.O. Box 739055; Elmhurst, NY 11373;
• By email: HurricaneBillingReviews@dep.nyc.gov;
• Online: at www.nyc.gov/dep;click on “Customer Assistance.”