Pasco County

Floridas Premier County

Utilities - Customer
Information and Services
R19 UTCIS15-1266 - Update on Review of the
Inspector General Customer Complaint List
R20 UTCIS15-1271 - Update on Priority Action List

Pasco County
Floridas Premier County

R19 UTCIS15-1266
Update on Review of the
Inspector General
Customer Complaint List

Reason for the

Activity

Utilities CIS Billing Inquiries

Inspector Generals Audit Report
363 Accounts to be Reviewed
Utilities CIS Process and Response

Utilities CIS

Key Findings of
IG Audit Report
95% of the water meters tested were
accurate and functioning properly.
While nine meters (5%) did not meet
American Water Works Association
(AWWA) standards, it was determined
that those nine meters were running
slow, and in favor of the customers
100% of the tested meter registers
agreed with the reads captured with
the meter reading
equipment
Utilities CIS

The Account Review

Process
1. A letter has been sent to each
customer identified in the report:
Communicating the review process
Setting expectations for response
Note: Many customers identified in the
report have already been contacted by
Utilities CIS.
Customer Contact

The Account Review

Process
2. Identify the billing period(s) in question
Review billing consumption data by month.
Review sequence of meter reads (any
missed?).
Review number of days in the billing period
(greater than 32?).

Identify the Billing Period(s) in Question

The Account Review

Process
Identifying Billing Period(s) in question

Identify the Billing Period(s) in Question

The Account Review

Process
Identifying Billing Period(s) in question

Identify the Billing Period(s) in Question

The Account Review

Process
3. Evaluate account data and information
including meter reads, meter profiles,
and bill information, to determine the
reason(s) for the question/concern.
Check for reading estimations
Review sequence of meter reads (any
missed?)
Review number of days in the billing period
(greater than 32?)
Perform a detailed review of customer bills
Order a Evaluate
profile (hour
by hour
usage) on the
Account
Data

The Account Review

Process
Review the Meter Profile

Evaluate Account Data

The Account Review

Process
4. Complete the analysis and determine
the outcome and/or resolution.

Billing Errors
Normal/High Usage - Explainable
Leaks Verified
Leaks Unexplained
High Usage - Unexplained
Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Billing Errors
Missed meter read
Reading error
Billing period more than 32 days

Recommended Resolution
Calculate the correct amount to bill.
Apply the appropriate adjustment if
required.
Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Billing Errors Example Calculation for
Missed Read

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Verified Leaks
Accounts that experienced a leak verified
by repair receipts.

Recommended Resolution
Apply the Billing Adjustment Policy upon
receipt of the application.

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples of Verified Leaks

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples of Verified Leaks
Dec. 2014 = 537,000 gallons
Jan. 2015 = 508,000 gallons
Max flow = 1420 gph or 23 gpm
Leak was more than 4 months

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples of Verified Leaks

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples of Verified Leaks
June 2015 = 569,000 gallons
Max flow = 1330 gph or 22 gpm
Leak from 5/25 to 6/12/2015

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Unexplained Leaks
Accounts where high usage occurs, but the
customer can not explain the cause.

Continuous flow greater than a 24 hour period

Greater than 120% of customers average
monthly bill

Recommended Resolution

Apply a one-time only for the life of the

account billing adjustment. (Requires
Ordinance amendment)
Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Example of Leaks Unexplained

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Example of Unexplained Leaks
July 2015 = 569,000 gallons
Max flow = 1460 gph or 24 gpm
Leak from 6/30 to 7/18/2015

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Example of Unexplained Leaks
Leak Adjustment for Residential Water and Sewer Account with
FY20143/4" Meter
Account
Name
Customer#
#
Meter# 09567205

Enter Prior Months

Consumptions

Month 1 - Billed Consumption

Bill#

4682079

Bill Date

8/7/2014

Bill Period

6/27/2014

to

7/25/2014

Month 1 - Leak
Adjustment Credit

Average Consumption for Adjustment Calculation

15

Month 1

1
Month 2

Total Billed Consumption (in thousands)

Average Consumption

614

Month 3

3thousand gallons

Average Consumption +20% (in

thousands)

2
Month 4

Thousand
Galllons @

611

$2.559 per 1000 gallons

Units

Rate

Units

Rate

2
Month 5

Water Base Charge

Tier 1 (1,000 to 6,000 gallons)

Tier 2 (7,000 to 9,000 gallons)

7.71

Water Base Charge

$ 2.65

15.90

Tier 1 (1,000 to 6,000 gallons)

$ 3.57

10.71

Tier 2 (7,000 to 9,000 gallons)

7.71

TBW Unitary (Bulk) Charge

$ 2.65

7.95

$1,563.55

Credit = $1,774.25 OR adjusted bill = $3,385.99 - $1,774.25 = $1,611.74

1

Month 6
2
Month 7

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

2

Month 8

Tier 3 (10,000 to 15,000

gallons)

$ 4.51

27.06

Tier 3 (10,000 to 15,000

gallons)

Water Charge Overage

The Account Review

Process
Unexplained High Usage
Accounts where high usage occurs, where
neither the customer nor CIS can explain the
cause.

Use pattern is not consistent with a leak.

Greater than 120% of customers average
monthly bill

Recommended Resolution
Apply a one-time only for the life of the
account billing adjustment. (Requires
Ordinance amendment)
Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Normal High Usage - Explainable
Use that can be easily explained by
information obtained, such as meter
profiles.
Common causes include irrigation systems
and auto-fill systems used in swimming
pools.

Recommended Resolution

No billing adjustment
Educate customer on causes

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples Normal High Usage Explainable
Builders Usage

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples Normal High Usage Explainable
New Owners Usage

Owner had adjusted Irrigation Controller, but did not realize there was more
than one program. Chris Dewey from Coop Extension visited premise and
found multiple programs were set.

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
Examples Normal High Usage Explainable

Determine the Outcome and/or Resolution

The Account Review

Process
5. Contact each customer to discuss
our findings.
Phone calls where possible
Letters/email as necessary

Contact Each Customer to Discuss our Findings.

The Account Review

Process
Status of the 363 IG accounts:
363 have received a preliminary review:
Identified accounts already in process
Identified simple billing errors
Identified accounts requiring meter profiles
237 have been categorized, if enough info available
44 or 19% Two-month Billing Errors
44 or 19% Normal Usage due to Irrigation
11 or 5% Verified Leaks
35 or 15% Unverified/Unexplained Leaks
100 or 42% still requiring further analysis
NOTE: Goal is to complete by 10/1/15

Status

Ensuring Consistent
Processes
Proactive Process Improvement
Identify the Root Cause of Issues
Implement IG Recommendations
Develop Best-Practice Standard Operating
Procedures
To include improving proactive Customer
Communication when exceptions are
discovered

Provide Customer/Consumer Education

Ensuring Consistent Processes

Pasco County
Ordinance
Recommendations to address Accounts
with Unexplained Leaks and High
Usage
Apply a one-time only for the life of
the account billing adjustment using
current Ordinance methodology.
This method reduces the amount billed
to the current Tampa Bay Water
Unitary rate of $2.55 per 1000 gallons
Pasco
(compared
to County
$5.53 Ordinance
Tier 4)

Pasco County
Ordinance
DRAFT proposed verbiage change
Section 114-40, Billing Adjustments
(b) Upon application to Utilities Customer Service, for verified leaks and the first-time
filling of a new pool, the County Administrator or designee may adjust the water bill of a
customer after presentation of original plumbing repair bills, original receipts for
materials or parts, a notarized statement of the repair, or permit for pool installation,
including the date of the work and the nature of the repair. An adjustment may also
be obtained for unexplained leaks or high water usage for a period of more
than 24 hours as verified by a meter profile for which the Utilities Director
reasonably believes that the water was used unintentionally.
Such an
adjustment may be obtained only one time per customer account. The high
water use will not be forgiven, but shall be paid at the current Tampa Bay Waters
unitary rate. High water use shall mean usage from the leak or pool filling, which
results in an amount of water used that is 20% over the average usage of the preceding
12 months based on meter readings. Additionally, if the documentation shows that the
high water use did not flow to the countys sewer system, the County Administrator or
designee may likewise issue a credit to the sewer portion of the bill for the high water
use. If a new customer does not have 12 months usage, the county will take the
average usage over the entire available period of usage of not less than three months
for that customer. The water bill adjustment will only be made for the water used that
is 20% over the average usage for the preceding 12 months. The adjustment can only
be applied to the customer account active at the time of the leak and will only be

Pasco County Ordinance

Pasco County
Floridas Premier County

R20 UTCIS15-1271
Update on Priority Action
List

Update on
Action Plan
1. Highest priority is to complete the IGs
recommendation to review all customer accounts
that had contacted the IG regarding high water bills
and determine outcomes (update provide in another
agenda item).
2. Hire all approved resources as soon as possible. One
temporary staff has already been hired and is
assisting with item #1 above.
3. In collaboration with EMA, Inc., review and prioritize
all tasks on the PAL with an emphasis on the IG
recommendations. EMA efforts began and they were
onsite from 9-8-15 to 9-11-15 and return on 9-23-15.
4. Develop an Action Plan to address the majority of the
Pasco County
Ordinance
IG recommendations
by the end
of March of 2016.