Still No DEP Relief for Red Hook Resident

Early in November, a Red Hook tipster got in touch to say that her meter reader stopped working after flooding by Hurricane Sandy and the DEP was threatening to bill at a higher estimated rate unless she got it fixed. She writes that the DEP realized its error, three and a half weeks later, and recently sent out another automated notice. But, ironically, although her building is empty, without electricity, and not using any water, “The bill I got from them was, in fact, higher than the previous bill by about 50 bucks,” she said. Here’s the notice:

Dear Customer,
We would like to apologize for the email sent on 11/05/2012 asking you to contact us regarding your Automated Meter Reading (AMR) device. The email was generated automatically and was suspended shortly thereafter. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused.

If you were impacted by the storm and would like DEP to review your water and sewer bill, please email us at HurricaneBillingReviews@dep.nyc.gov or call us at 718-595-7000.

If you have any additional questions, please call 311.

Sincerely,
DEP Customer Service Team

Of course, she has already asked DEP to review her situation, and the bill has only increased. Meanwhile, despite our tipster’s experience, Mayor Bloomberg has declared the city plans to waive standard fees for some homeowners whose water service was interrupted by the storm, The New York Times reports. Bloomberg also said that owners whose homes were red or yellow tagged as a result of Hurricane Sandy will not have to pay their water bills until June.
Owners of Storm-Damaged Homes Get Water Bill Reprieve [NY Times]
Red Hook Resident Now Has to Worry About Water Meter [Brownstoner]