Residents have started receiving bills for the new town water system, but some of them were not expecting to pay until they hooked into the system.
Bills recently arrived in the mailboxes of Ocean View residents, requesting $110 for the water service availability fee. Many residents have not yet hooked into the system because they have until February 2009 to do so, said Town Manager Conway Gregory. But all residents agreed to pay the availability fee once the water system was online, he said.
On Feb. 13, the town sent out letters detailing the process for hooking into the water system. The letter also informed residents of the $78-per-quarter service fee. The first bill was higher because it included March through May and the first six days of June. The following bills will be issued quarterly, said Gregory.
The town water system was approved through referendum in 2004, with 220 residents in favor and 139 opposed. The town contracted with Tidewater Utilities for the construction. Costs were paid in part by a USDA loan and grant.
According to Gregory, the town estimates about 650 users will hook up to the system in the next year. In total, the system can accommodate up to 950 users. There are many vacant lots in Ocean View that will only be connected once the owner builds on them. The owner will also be billed at the time when construction begins, said Gregory.
The only areas of town not hooked into the system are Bear Trap Dunes, which has its own water system and Savannah’s Landing, which hooked into the Bethany Beach system.
Gregory said the town has had a few people call with questions about the bills. The residents told him they had not been informed of the charge.
“I think it was explained to them,” said Gregory. “But many said it was not, so we are sending the same letter back out to them.”
Residents can expect those letters within the next couple weeks. For more information, contact the town office at 539-9797.