GROTTOES, Va. (WHSV) – The Grottoes town council met Wednesday evening for a regularly scheduled meeting to discuss changes to late utility payments.
The Town of Grottoes has revised its Chapter 160 Water & Sewer Code regarding notices and service cut-off procedures for non-payment. According to the current code, if a water bill is unpaid within 30 days of being mailed, a 10% penalty is assessed on the total bill.
If payment is not received within 10 days of the past-due notice, water services may be disconnected unless there are extenuating circumstances that would be under consideration by the Town Manager.
The new rules also prohibit disconnections when extreme temperatures are forecasted or on weekends and holidays. Notices for non-payment must now be sent before a disconnection can occur if the account remains unpaid 45 days after the bill’s issuance. Appeals regarding these decisions can be made to the Town Council.
The new changes result from the HB906 (Shin)/SB480 (Aird) Residential Utility Disconnection Standards and go into effect on Jul. 1, 2025. Under this law, disconnection is prohibited until a residential customer’s account is at least 45 days in arrears.
Additionally, disconnection notices must be provided through various communication methods, including email, phone calls, text, and in English and Spanish.
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