3.20.050 Adjustment type – Residential or commercial, single- or multi-unit.
(a) Scope. This section applies to a:
(1) Multi-unit commercial property;
(2) Multi-unit residential property;
(3) Single-unit commercial property; or
(4) Single-unit residential property.
(b) Leaks on Property – Underground Leaks. WSSC shall issue an adjusted bill to exclude up to six months of excess water and sewer use charges based on the property’s comparable ADC or, if there is no comparable ADC, the current ADC if WSSC verifies that:
(1) A customer has been billed for water lost due to an underground leak; and
(2) The leak has been repaired under a WSSC permit obtained by a plumber licensed with WSSC.
(c) Fire or Vandalism.
(1)
(i) A bill resulting from water lost during a fire or as a result of an act of vandalism shall be adjusted.
(ii) The bill and water use must coincide with a period during which the fire or act of vandalism occurred.
(2) The customer is not responsible for payment for damage to any meter during a fire or act of vandalism, or for fees to turn the water off or on due to the act of fire or vandalism.
(3)
(i) To qualify for an adjustment in subsection (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this section, the customer shall submit documentation in the form of a timely filed police report or fire department report.
(ii) The adjusted bill shall exclude all excess water and sewer charges based on the comparable ADC or, if there is no comparable ADC, the current ADC.
(d) Unpaid Previous Owner Charges.
(1) On notification that a property has been transferred, WSSC shall adjust the bill provided to the new property owner to exclude unpaid charges that were incurred by the previous owner before the date that title to the property was transferred.
(2) In the case of a foreclosure sale, on receipt of a certified copy of the court order ratifying the foreclosure sale, WSSC shall adjust the bill provided to the foreclosure sale purchaser to exclude unpaid charges incurred before the date of the court order.
(e) Gasket Leak on Meter.
(1) An account shall be adjusted for all excess water and sewer charges when a gasket leaking on a meter registers on the meter (that is, the leaking gasket is on the “house side” of the meter.)
(2) The comparable ADC or, if unavailable, the current ADC shall be used as the basis of the adjustment.
(f) Lining Project. Charges resulting from water used during cleaning and lining of a water main, or due to the switching of meters in a dual meter pit, shall be adjusted based on the comparable ADC or, if unavailable, the current ADC.
(g) Sewer Only Adjustment.
(1) WSSC shall adjust sewer charges where water lost to a leak does not enter the sewer system, including:
(i) Crawl space leaks;
(ii) Hose bib leaks; and
(iii) Burst pipes.
(2) To receive a sewer charge adjustment, the customer shall submit the receipt from a plumber or a sworn affidavit from the customer stating that:
(i) The leak was repaired; and
(ii) The water lost from the leak did not enter a floor drain or otherwise enter the WSSC sewer system.
(3) WSSC reserves the right to inspect the leak repair.
(4) The adjusted bill shall exclude all excess sewer charges for up to two billing periods based on the comparable ADC or, if there is no comparable ADC, the current ADC.
(5) The water charges resulting from the leak are not eligible for adjustment under this chapter. (Res. 2023-2352)