Policy Bulletin 204 - Meter Reading, Billing & Collections
Adopted 2007/12, Revised 2014/12, Revised 2018/05​
METER READING PROCEDURES
  1. OBJECTIVE

    All Users of Southern Black Hills Water services should recognize that each User has an obligation to pay for the services received on a timely basis and that any User who does not do so is passing his obligation on to all other Users. Southern Black Hills therefore established the following procedures for all Users in an effort to provide equity and fairness to all.

  2. METER READING
    1. Bills for water will be computed in accordance with the Corporation's published rate schedule and will be based on the amount consumed for the period covered by the meter reading.
    2. Meters shall be read no later than the 25th ofeach month, and payment must be mailed by the 26th. If the 25th of the month falls on a holiday, Saturday or Sunday, the next business day will be the due date If the payment is not received in the Corporation's office by the 20th of the month, the water User may be notified they are delinquent due to non-payment and that the water service may be turned off.
    3. Water Users who are classified as Livestock shall pay their bill on a monthly basis in a similar fashion as a rural household user.
    4. Following the construction of any User water tap, said water User shall be notified in advance of the time water service will be available. The charge for service commences when water is available at the water User's connection point whether used or not.
    5. If it is necessary for the Corporation's staff to personally read the meter for purposes of a final billing, a meter reading charge shall be added to the final bill.
  3. DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS PROCEDURES
    1. All accounts for which payment is due on a monthly basis from which payment has not been received by the 20th of the month may be disconnected on or before the Ist of the following month If it is necessary for the Corporation's staff to personally read the meter for the purpose of a final billing, a reconnection charge shall be added to the bill.
    2. Livestock Users accounts will be administered in a similar fashion to rural household accounts.
    3. Southern Black Hills will make a reasonable effort to contact in the following manner any User who is delinquent, prior to disconnecting service:
      1. Mailed delinquency notice with pending disconnection date.
      2. Southern Black Hills may attempt a telephone call prior to disconnection
      3. Operators will be notified of disconnect date
      4. Operators may try to collect payment if User is home before disconnecting service at which time a $25.00 collection fee is added to the bill
      5. If payment is not collected, service may be disconnected.
    4. If it is necessary for Southern Black Hills to disconnect service for non-payment, then all service to the User that is delinquent (wherever located) may be disconnected, and no service may be reconnected until all delinquent amounts, including any appropriate fees (i.e. monthly service charge, late charges, meter reading charges, etc.) have been paid.
    5. Southern Black Hills will impose the following charges in addition to any amounts that may be due for water service or minimum monthly service charges:
      Late Charge$10.001st month
      30.00each month after 1st month
      Meter Reading Charge25.00
      Collection Fee25.00
      Reconnect Fee (during hours)50.00
      Reconnect Fee (after hours)100.00
      Returned Checks25.00
    6. The late charge will continue to accrue on a monthly basis until the delinquent amount is paid in full. This amount must be paid in addition to all delinquent bills prior to service being restored.
  4. INSUFFICIENT FUNDS CHECK PROCEDURE
    1. The Corporation shall use whatever means available to it to effectuate recovery of bad checks received for payment of water bills, material and supplies or any other services performed by the Corporation. Such accounts will be treated as delinquent accounts and a returned check charge will be added to the total amount due on returned checks.
    2. The writer of any insufficient funds check will be given notice in writing or by telephone that the check is insufficient and that their account is delinquent.
    3. If a User has more than three checks returned in a six-month period, future payments must be made in cash, cashier' s check, money order or bank draft.
    4. The Corporation may refuse personal checks for payment of amounts due from water Users who have established an unreliable payment record; or the Corporation may require a security deposit (which will not accrue interest) in an amount approximately equal to three months' average bills. The Corporation reserves the right to check credit references before accepting applications for service, renewing service or to continue water service.
    5. If a User that has paid a deposit fails to make prompt payment to Southern Black Hills of amounts due, service may be discontinued and accrued charges deducted from the deposit with the balance, if any, refunded to the User.
  5. CHARGING OFF BAD DEBTS

    The Manager may charge off any account with a balance due of $500.00 or less which he deems uncollectible to the bad debt account of the Corporation. Accounts with balances due of $500.00 or more may only be charged off with the consent of the Board of Directors.

  6. ADMINISTRATION

    The Manager shall be responsible for interpreting and administering the provisions ofthis policy bulletin.