Adjustments to Oolitic Residents Water Bills Approved

(00LITIC) – The Oolitic Town Council passed a resolution to make adjustments for approximately 200 water customers after finding billing errors.

The Council held a special meeting Friday evening to address the issue.

According to Town Clerk-Treasurer Annette Norrick, the errors occurred after an employee did not properly read the meters. That employee has since resigned.

Some water customers experienced large increases to their December water bill, while others remained relatively the same.

The improper readings occured during the months of October through December, mainly in the Rolling Acres and Oolitic Manor areas.

In a 3-0 vote, with President Dirk Sears and Steve Kerr abstaining, the council voted to correct the billing issues. Both Sears and Kerr were affected by the billing errors.

Resolution reads:

  1. Each affected customer’s account shall be adjusted accordingly. The bill should equate to a monthly average of their previous six month water consumption bill, previous to December 2020.
  2. Late fees associated with the December 2020 bill will be waived.
  3. Affected customers who have already paid their December 2020 bill shall receive a credit for any overpayment.

Not all Oolitic Water Customers may see changes to their bill.

Anyone with questions can call Oolitic Town Hall at 812-275-6813.

“We want to apologize to our residents for this error, as we have worked hard to improve our water delivery system,” said Sears. “We are looking at replacing our meters in the near future, that will prevent human errors like this. The new smart meters will also allow us to be notified of water leaks faster, preventing large bills when these leaks occur.”

A resident thanked the Street Department employees for their part in clearing the roads.

“I want to thank the Street Department and Water Department for all they have done,” said Daniel Brooks. “The Oolitic Street Department did a fine job during the snowstorm.”