BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Legislators, locals and the like will soon gather to hear more about water bill troubles and a potential state solution on the table.
The meeting will be open to the public, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Lehigh Valley Hospital—Muhlenberg at 2545 Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem.
House Bill 905 has been around for about a year now, according to its prime sponsor, Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh.
The bill includes identical language for public utilities and — in the case of the Bethlehem Water and Sewer Department — municipal authorities:
“A municipal authority shall provide notice to utility customers if the municipal authority determines that the water usage has increased by 50% for one month above the average water usage for the property. The municipal authority shall make reasonable efforts via telephone and electronic mail to inform the utility customer of the increase in usage and assist the utility customer in identifying potential leaks or other wasteful inefficiencies on the property.”
The bill was sent to the Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee on April 12, 2023.
McNeill said that in the next couple of months, it could be run through its legal paces before the committee and then the House and Senate if everything goes smoothly.
“Things have gone up so much, and the residents of our Commonwealth have been hit with a lot higher of everything. And if I can have this bill pass, at least make something easier on them financially, then at least something’s being done to help in that direction.”Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh
“Things have gone up so much, and the residents of our commonwealth have been hit with a lot higher of everything,” McNeill said.
“And if I can have this bill pass, at least make something easier on them financially, then at least something’s being done to help in that direction.”
Bill background
McNeill said she was approached by a constituent from Bethlehem sometime last year with a situation similar to that of Mark and Sally Will-Weber.
The Will-Webers were recently featured in a piece from LehighValleyNews.com, where they shared more on having to pay a quarterly charge for using 54,000 gallons of water last year — and they weren’t even in the country for some of those three months.
They brought in a plumber who found no leaks, and the couple ultimately attempted to dispute the bill — but to no avail.
Mark Will-Weber will testify at the upcoming hearing. McNeill said she wants another person to come along and share their experience, too.
City water officials are confident the meter didn’t lie in the case of the Will-Webers and in most high-usage cases.
They’re not always mysterious either.
Sometimes the water department can help to identify the problem alongside the homeowner, according to Bethlehem Water and Sewer Resources Director Edward Boscola.
Some common culprits can include an outside hose left running and leaky faucets, Boscola said.
