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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the duties of a water service provider in an area served |
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by sewer service of certain political subdivisions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 402, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 402.911 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 402.911. DUTIES OF WATER SERVICE PROVIDER TO AN AREA |
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SERVED BY SEWER SERVICE OF CERTAIN POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. (a) |
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This section applies only to an area: |
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(1) that is located in a county that has a population |
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of more than one million and in which more than 80 percent of the |
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population resides in a single municipality; and |
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(2) in which: |
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(A) sewer service is provided by a municipality |
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or conservation and reclamation district that also provides water |
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service to other areas; and |
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(B) an entity other than the municipality or |
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district described by Paragraph (A) provides water service to the |
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area. |
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(b) A municipality or conservation and reclamation district |
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may provide written notice to a person to whom the municipality's or |
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district's sewer service system provides service if the person has |
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failed to pay for the service for more than 90 days. The notice must |
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state the past due amount owed and the deadline by which the past |
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due amount must be paid or the person will lose water service. The |
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notice may be sent by mail or hand-delivered to the location at |
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which the sewer service is provided. |
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(c) The municipality or district may notify the water |
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service provider of a person who fails to make timely payment after |
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the person receives notice under Subsection (b). The notice must |
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indicate the number of days the person has failed to pay for sewer |
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service and the total amount past due. On receipt of the notice, |
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the water service provider shall discontinue water service to the |
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person. |
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(d) For each person the water service provider serves in an |
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area to which this section applies, the water service provider |
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shall provide the municipality or district with any relevant |
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customer information so that the municipality or district may bill |
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users of the sewer service directly and verify the water |
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consumption of users. Relevant customer information provided under |
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this section includes the name, address, and telephone number of |
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the customer of the water service provider, the monthly meter |
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readings of the customer, monthly consumption information, |
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including any billing adjustments, and certain meter information, |
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such as brand, model, age, and location. |
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(e) The municipality or district shall reimburse the water |
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service provider for its reasonable and actual incremental costs |
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for providing services to the municipality or district under this |
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section. Incremental costs are limited to only those costs that are |
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in addition to the water service provider's costs in providing its |
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services to its customers, and those costs must be consistent with |
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the costs incurred by other water utility providers. The water |
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service provider must provide the municipality or district with |
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documentation certified by a certified public accountant of the |
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reasonable and actual incremental costs for providing services to |
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the municipality or district under this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |