BBWSD disconnects 15 customers, 49 delinquent with $27,800 owed

Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD) returned to shutoffs at the beginning of March for customers behind on payments and who had not entered into a repayment plan.

While the district still has 49 delinquent accounts, it has only shut off service to 15 so far in this billing cycle, BBWSD finance director Sandi McMillan told The Northern Light in an email. One-third of those accounts that were shut off contacted the district and entered into a payment plan. The delinquent accounts that were not disconnected were less than three bills behind on payments, which is the district’s prerequisite for utility shutoffs.

“Hopefully they will read our bill inserts on how to get financial resource help or make some payments to avoid lock off,” McMillan wrote.

BBWSD currently has 21 customers who fell behind on their payments during the pandemic on payment plans. The district offers a 12-month repayment plan for customers in arrears. Besides entering into payment plans, customers behind on utility payments are also encouraged to seek assistance from the Opportunity Council (OC) and Community Assistance Program (CAP), the latter of which McMillan said BBWSD has a nine-year partnership.

For those 49 delinquent accounts, McMillan said the district is owed $27,807. On average that comes out to a $467 balance per customer. BBWSD has approximately 8,000 connections.

McMillan said during the remaining half of this billing cycle customers behind on payments will be contacted to offer the district’s repayment plan and connect them to OC and CAP. These efforts include doorknocker information slips as well as a phone call and email if BBWSD has contact information.

“Returning to service shut offs after the pandemic has been purposely slow by the district,” McMillan wrote. “We’ve waited for resources to be available for customers and only focus our efforts on the customers that most need the resources.”

“If customers would like to make a donation to the CAP they can do that on their bill and it will 100 percent go to a neighbor in need through the CAP,” she continued.

The city of Blaine saw 112 customers disconnected when it returned to shut-offs in November 2021 after governor Jay Inslee lifted Washington’s moratorium on utility shut-offs September 30, 2021. Finance director Daniel Heverling told The Northern Light in an email the city is owed $68,032 in outstanding balance as of March 29.

On March 1, 73 city of Blaine customers were disconnected. Of those, Heverling said approximately 60 paid their bills the same day and were reconnected, and another 10 paid within the month. The city has 37 accounts on payment plans.