Seminole to resume shutting off water service

Seminole County in January will resume disconnecting water and sewer service for customers who do not pay their monthly utility bills, officials announced Monday.

It will effectively end the county’s moratorium on water shutoffs put in place in March 2020 during the early stages of the COVID19 pandemic when the economy came to a near halt, and many residents struggled financially to pay their utility bills.

Seminole follows several other local governments that have also resumed water shut-offs for non-payments. For example, Orange County lifted its moratorium in September 2020, Sanford in July 2020, Lake Mary last July, and Altamonte Springs last August.

Currently, more than 1,400 of Seminole’s roughly 41,000 commercial and residential customers have outstanding balances on their accounts and owe the county a total of more than $739,044. That’s 11% of the total $6.72 million that the county collected on utility bills during the water shut-off moratorium.

Some customers have outstanding balances totaling more than $1,000, officials said.

“The county aims to resume shut-offs in a reasonable and efficient manner, while remaining compassionate to customer needs,” said Andrea Wontor, a county spokesperson, in a news release.

Customers with overdue balances will be notified at least one billing cycle ahead of their water being shut off, and officials will hang tags on their doors to notify them of a possible shut-off. However, the county will allow some customers to pay their overdue bills through increments.

“There are options. It’s not necessarily that they will have to pay it all upfront,” Wontor said.

The county also will continue offering assistance through CARES Act funds to residents who are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

Customers who need help paying their utility bills can call the Seminole County water and sewer utility customer service line at 407-665-2110 or send an email to WSCustomerService@seminolecountyfl.gov.