A policy will be developed to deal with residents’ reports of sudden surges in water usage in The Villages.
Assistant District Manager Bruce Brown announced some changes that will be implemented in the wake of a contentious meeting earlier this week of the North Sumter County Utility Dependent District Board.
At that meeting, residents complained of expensive unexplained surges in their water usage. Several Villagers experienced the surges when they were up north and their water was shut off.
Brown said the reported meter problems are “not a widespread issue.”
However, on Thursday he announced that officials are developing criteria for a policy to address “unexplained high use” that has proven costly for some residents.
“There are also resident concerns about communications,” Brown said.
Some residents claimed that had been treated rudely by the District Utilities Department and threatened with a $35 monthly penalty if they didn’t pay their full water bill on time.
“Some small improvements in communication can go a long way,” Brown said.
He said improvements will include better communications such as door hangers.
He also noted that a new customer service director position was recently approved by the Village Center Community Development District Board of Supervisors.
“We heard from the residents and we are working across all areas of concern,” Brown added.
