DEP water/sewer billing report, January-June 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

ACCELERATED WATER METERING

DEP has made progress in meeting this goal; more than 4,050 water meters have been installed in large buildings in the drainage area by DEP meter installation contractors since this order was modified. This number is in addition to the 2,641 water meters that had been installed in large buildings by DEP meter installation contractors in this drainage area at the time this order was modified. Therefore, more than 6,691 new meters have been installed in the Wards Island area by meter installation contractors. This total does not include meters installed during renovations under Local Law 53/1985 or under the Water Board’s Reimbursable Metering Program (formerly known as the Window of Opportunity Program). These installations add at least 2,000 additional meters/buildings to the total, based on RMP installations alone. The most recent meter installation contracts bid cover several community boards each, so maintaining an exact count of installations in Wards Island is not as practical as in the past. As of June 1, 2002, there were approximately 59,000 unmetered water/sewer accounts citywide, 92,000 fewer than in July 1999. Of the unmetered properties, approximately 23,000 are surcharged for failing to install a meter while approximately 25,000 of the remainder are considered to be “in process” of being metered since they have submitted requests for DEP contractor installations. The remainder are vacant/unmeterable, duplicate accounts on a lot, exempt or otherwise not included. 93% of all water/sewer accounts are metered.

Final completion has been slowed by customers who refuse to have meters installed, and to some extent by contractual problems. These problems were not considered by either DEP or DEC at the time the Order was negotiated, yet they have caused delays in the substantial completion of meter installations.

These problems, and DEP’s responses, include the following:

Small Residential Properties applicant

The first round of all small meter installation contracts was complete for all neighborhoods in the City by 1998. Completed installations during this “first round” total approximately 82% of all possible installations. Some properties are “unmeterable” for physical reasons at the present time, so the completion rate of “meterable” properties is closer to 93%. Of the remaining properties, 5-10% probably require the installation of pit meters. These installations were left until now so that DEP could issue specialized contracts for that work in each borough. The outdoor pit meter contractors began work in the Bronx and Brooklyn in late 10

NYC-WTC_000144422