NM Water Firm Says Billing Will Be Back on Line

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Saturday, April 22, 2000

Water Firm Says Billing Will Be Back on Line

Journal Staff Report The Santa Fe city water division, the Sangre de Cristo Water Co., promised relief just over the horizon for worried and impatient consumers. City water bills have been arriving less than punctually, due primarily to problems associated with a change in billing agencies, city officials have said. Some bills arrived along with a disconnect notice without prior warning, adding to customer confusion, the water division previously reported. But, "while some isolated problems with the Sangre de Cristo Water billing system are still being experienced, major issues have been resolved," the water company announced in a Friday news release. Billing and meter-reading staff are working overtime to return the billing process to its regular schedule as soon as possible, the city announced. Billing should come current by the first week of May. Some notices may indicate a billing period of two or three months rather than one month. Customers with difficulty meeting that burden may arrange a payment schedule, the city said. No customer's water service will be disconnected while the water company settles the billing delays, the company said. Customers who have not received a recent bill may contact the water company at 982-3700. The company has installed 10 new phone lines to accommodate an anticipated increase in customer calls. Still, the company said some callers may experience a delay. To avoid lengthy holds, customers may fax their billing problem to 954-7132 or 954-7139. Include your name, phone number and a description of the billing issue. Sangre de Cristo said it will try to respond within 24 hours. Customers may also walk in at the company office, 801 W. San Mateo, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. The wait for walk-ins is usually brief, the company said. Company and city officials could not be reached Friday, a city holiday, for further comment. Quality Management Services contracted to read the city water meters, a job previously done by Public Service Co. of New Mexico. City officials suspect some late or missing bills were the result of the changeover. The disconnect notices were traced to computer software the city installed to circumvent Y2K problems, the city has said.

http://www.abqjournal.com/news/11444news04-22-00.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 24, 2000


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