Decatur offers option to prevent water shutoff

DECATUR — With businesses across Northwest Arkansas cutting back on services or closed due to the covid-19 pandemic, people are struggling to keep up with their mounting bills. One local water department is struggling to keep up with the increasing numbers of delinquent accounts.

The Decatur Water Department is dealing with more than 20 delinquent accounts from Decatur area residents who have simply stopped paying their bills for a multitude of reasons.

During a special Decatur City Council meeting in the conference room at the city hall and via Zoom, Mayor Bob Tharp and James Boston, director of public works, brought this matter before the council to find a solution that would both benefit Decatur residents and the water department.

The Decatur Water Department has 900 customers using city services. Of these customers, 182 shutoff notices were sent out on June 18. These notices were for the month of May alone. While this is up by 36 compared to 146 in March, this still represents a significant amount of money lost by the city each month.

The council members, working with Tharp and Boston, have come up with a plan to deal with delinquent water accounts.

The Decatur Water Department is offering a “Hardship Agreement” for those households that have been quarantined or laid-off due to the covid-19 pandemic lockdown. In order to get the “Hardship Agreement,” a family member needs to contact the Water Department office at 479-752-3912, Option 1, to talk to a water department clerk. This is not a waiver but a way to get a temporary postponement of the past-due bill. But the full amount will eventually have to be paid.

Without the arrangement, customers of the Decatur Water Department have until July 6 at 4:30 p.m. to pay past due amounts. Water service will be shut off on July 7.

In the event that water service is shut off, Decatur customers will need to call the water department to make an appointment to come into city hall and pay the amount due plus a $35 reconnect fee.

For a small fee, Decatur water customers have the option to pay either by phone or online by going to https://pay.softtelpay.com or calling 1-800-4835729. The identification code the customer will need is 7272211. When using either option, the customer will need a city account number and the amount which is the past due, plus the $35 reconnection fee if water has been shut off. Customers choosing to use this method of payment need to call the water department and give the confirmation number that they receive at the time of payment to get the water turned back on.

A drop box located to the left of the main entryway to Decatur city hall can also be used to drop off a payment. This is checked on a regular basis throughout the day.

The city of Decatur is making every effort to help customers in these hard times. The past due and current billing cycle ends July 6. This is the day to pay up or face a July 7 water shutoff.

Although the city offices remain closed to the public due to the pandemic, water department personnel will be there until 7 p.m. July 7 to take payments and make sure water service is restored to the customers. This is a one day only event.

If you have any questions, contact the Decatur Water Department at 479752-3912, Extension 1.