City of Tulsa updating water cutoff rules starting 2024 - KOKI FOX 23 TULSA

City of Tulsa updating water cutoff rules starting 2024 | News | fox23.com

TULSA, Okla. — Starting January, the City of Tulsa will make changes to its water cutoff procedures.

The city announced the updated rules in a press release. The current fees and procedures have been in place since 2006.

Most customers won't be affected because the new changes will only impact residents whose water is scheduled to be turned off after 24 days of not paying the water bill. Utility rates are unaffected and those who pay on time will see no change in service.

One major change will update how city workers go about turning off water of customers who miss payments.

After 24 days of non-payment, city workers will turn off the water and lock a resident's meter box instead of turning off the water and physically removing it after 31 days.

Another change will see residents get an extension of until 52 days past the bill's due date before the account is sent to collections. In the past, resident accounts would be closed and sent to collections 41 days past the due date.

The city believes that locking meters instead of pulling them will save the city manpower hours and costs.

According to the press release, the city averages approximately 73,000 water cutoff and water meter pull work orders each year, as well as 18,000 meter reset orders.

The city added that locking meter boxes means residents won't be able to illegally turn their water back on. The city will turn on water after residents pay any delinquent bills and fees.

The city gave the following details in the press release:

The updated water fees will include:

- The water cutoff fee will increase from $30 to $40 (for water cutoff and to restore water once the delinquent bill is paid)
- The combined water cutoff and meter pull fee will decrease from $70 to $40 (because the meter pull fee is being removed)

City residents with questions should click HERE.