Lubec Water District
157 Pumping Station Road
Lubec, Maine 04652
(207) 733-5526

Our business hours are 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Friday (excluding holidays). A service crew is available 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday – Friday (excluding holidays). Limited emergency service is provided for nights, weekends, and holidays at the discretion of Lubec Water District and at customer expense. For afterhours contact please call (207) 263-6855

I. APPLICATION FOR SERVICE
Applying for Service: You must complete an application for service before we accept you as a customer. You must apply as soon as you are responsible for the service and provide all required information. We charge a service establishment fee of $10.00, payable at time of application, each time you sign for service. Service may be disconnected if you fail to complete the application process. In signing for the service, you agree to abide by Lubec Water District’s approved Terms and Conditions. You are also responsible for notifying us to terminate water service and for providing complete information for a final bill. In multi-unit buildings, tenants are allowed to sign for service only if there is a permanently accessible shut-off for each unit.
Scheduling: We require a two business-day notice to begin the process of providing service, unless the service has been disconnected for non-payment by you. We require a minimum three business-day notice to discontinue service; termination of service may involve removal of the meter. We can bill you for service until you give the required notice or until we disconnect, whichever is first. These services are available during our business hours, and someone must be on the premises when we turn the water on or remove the meter.
Old Unpaid Bills: When you apply for service, we will check to see if you have had service with us before. If you have an unpaid bill, we will ask you to pay it or to sign a payment agreement. We cannot ask you to pay anyone else’s bill–only those bills in your name or bills which the court has said you are responsible for. If you dispute the old bill or you are unable to agree with us about a reasonable payment plan, see the “Complaints” section of this handout.
II. BILLING
Billing: In general, Lubec Water bills on a quarterly basis, with the exact billing date is the last Friday of the billing month. Your first bill may be for one or five months; after the first bill, you will receive a bill every three months. Domestic water use is billed in arrears, that is billed after it is used.
Water consumption: Water bills are based on water consumption, measured by a water meter in your basement, inside your home or utility closet. Most locations are equipped with meters which can be read from the outside of the building.
Water Charges: Most residential locations are equipped with a 5/8-inch meter. Currently, the minimum quarterly charge for this size meter is $59.00. Under the minimum charge, you are allowed up to 900 cubic feet, and the water charge is $4.50 per hundred cubic feet up to a consumption of 2100 CF. For consumption over 2100, the water rate is $2.00 per hundred cubic feet. One hundred cubic feet of water is approximately 748 gallons.
Metering of Single-Unit Buildings. No Customer shall supply water to another without prior Utility written approval. All single-unit buildings must be individually serviced and metered, unless otherwise agreed upon with the Utility in advance and in writing.
Metering of Multi-Unit Buildings Except as provided in Chapter 810 of the Commission’s Rules, where there is more than one occupant of a building supplied with water, the Utility may require the owner to arrange the plumbing to permit separate connections with shutoffs and meters in locations acceptable to the Utility for each place of business or abode.
Metering of Mobile Homes. Meters for mobile homes must be installed inside the mobile home.
Sub-metering. Additional or auxiliary meters for showing subdivision of water use must be furnished, installed, read and maintained at the Customer’s own expense.
Meter Location. Meters shall be set within two feet of a point of entry into the building in accordance with the Utility’s metering policy. Meters once set may be relocated with prior, written Utility approval, at the Customer’s expense.
Charges for Repair or Replacement of Damaged Water Meters. The charges to Customers for costs incurred for the repair or replacement of meter(s) damaged due to improper care by Customers are as follows: $38.50 – per hour during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, plus the cost of the necessary replacement parts. During holidays and other than normal business hours, there will be a minimum one hour charge of $53.00, with each additional hour billed at $45.00 per hour, plus the cost of the necessary replacement parts.
Location of Remote Readers. Remote readers will be installed in a protected outside area accessible at all times. The owner is responsible for the care of the reader and for any expenses related to remote reader damages.
Meter Tests: We test your meter periodically to make sure it is operating correctly. The MPUC approves the schedule of meter tests and the accuracy standards. If you want your meter tested for accuracy, we will do so at no cost to you, and you may witness the test during business hours when it is scheduled if you tell us when we remove the meter. If you ask more often than once every 18 months, we will charge you a fee based on meter size. The fee will be refunded if the meter is inaccurate. You can check the accuracy of your bill and monitor your own usage by reading the meter yourself.
Estimated Bills: We prepare bills based on actual meter readings unless hampered by weather conditions, emergencies, or equipment failure OR if you have failed to provide access for us to obtain the reading.
Make-up Bills: If we have to issue a make-up bill for past service that you were not billed for, we will offer you a payment plan. If the reason for the make-up bill is our fault (equipment failure or billing error, for example) you will be billed for only one (1) year of the past service even if the billing mistake was for a longer time.
Past Usage: If you ask for it, we will provide a record of your usage going back a maximum of 13 months.
Third Party Notice: Let us know if you want another person to get a copy of any bill or disconnection notice we send you. We will send a copy to the person you designate, but you are still responsible for payment. This service may be especially important for our elderly or disabled customers. Owners of rental property may request copies of the tenants bills and disconnect notices.
Water Questions?: If you have any questions about the cost of water service or other services, you can call us at 733-5526 during business hours. Our rates must be approved by the MPUC and we cannot change these rates without approval of the MPUC. You have the right to review and comment on the proposed rates before MPUC approval.

III. PAYMENT OF BILLS
Your water bill is due 28 days from mailing, and may accrue interest beginning on the 29th day. You can pay your bill by cash, check, or money order; you may also pay by credit card as detailed below. When a check is not honored by the bank, we will charge you the greater of $5.00 per account or the bank charge – up to $15.00 per account. If you have more than one returned check, we may require you to pay by cash or certified check/money order only. You should include your bill stubs with payment or note the account number on your check. You can pay your water bill:
IN PERSON OR BY MAIL:
Lubec Water District
157 Pumping Station Rd
Lubec, Maine 04652
Credit or Debit card:
At the office, online or by telephone
There will be a convenience fee charged on all transactions. Minimum of $1.50 up to $51.00. $51.01 and over is charged 2.95%

www.lubecwater.org , Pay bill tab
or
www.egovpayments.com
This information is also provided with your bill. If you mail your payment to us, your bill is considered paid on the day we receive it. If you make a partial payment, we will apply it to your oldest balance. Requests for mailed payment receipts must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Possible Financial Assistance: www.211maine.org or dial 2-1-1. Other sources may be General Assistance at your city/town hall or the Dept. of Health and Human Services in Augusta (287-3707).
Payment Agreements: We will continue service even if you can’t pay your account in full, as long as you pay a reasonable portion of your bill and you agree to pay the rest in weekly payments. You must also agree to pay all future bills by the due date until the payment agreement is complete. We will consider the following in establishing a payment agreement: a) your ability to pay; b) the amount of the bill; c) your previous payment
history; d) the reason why the bill can’t be paid; e) how long the bill has remained unpaid; and f) extenuating circumstances. We will send you a written copy of an oral payment arrangement if more than one payment is required. If you do not make payments according to a payment agreement, we can send you a disconnection notice that gives you three (3) business days to bring the agreement up to date. You do not have to agree to a payment plan or any other proposed settlement of a dispute if doing so means giving up other rights listed in this pamphlet.
Deposits: We can ask for a deposit from residential applicants only if there is some proof that you will be a credit risk; that is, that you may not pay your future bills. In most cases, risk is shown if you have an unpaid bill when you apply for service, or you have been disconnected for non-payment at any utility, or if you were disconnected for unauthorized use or theft of services. These are not all the situations in which we can require a deposit. You have the right to show us evidence that you can and will pay your future bills and avoid a deposit request. We may request a deposit from non-residential customers as a condition of service. When we require a residential deposit, we must tell you in writing, explain what you can to do begin or continue service, and what to do if you disagree with the deposit request. You can ask for proof that you are a credit risk, and we will give you a choice between a cash deposit or allowing another person to “guarantee” your bills up to the deposit amount. The guarantor must be a residential customer in good standing with us. We will pay interest on deposits as set by the MPUC. We can require a deposit that is equal to your highest actual bill or equal to the highest bill at a comparable property. You can usually have a choice to pay the deposit in full or in three payments, with half due immediately, 25 percent in thirty (30) days and 25 percent in sixty (60) days. However, we may require a full payment of deposit if you are already using a payment plan to pay off an unpaid bill. We will return residential deposits with interest if you pay your bills on time for 12 consecutive months. Non-residential deposits are refunded at termination of service.
Non-transferable bills: If you have an unpaid bill and are no longer a customer of Lubec Water, or if you fail to pay a bill for other services such as merchandise or job work, we may seek payment through the court system. If we file in court and prevail, you will be responsible for all court costs.
IV. DISCONNECTION
We don’t want to disconnect your service. We will work with you to resolve any problem. However, if a customer refuses to cooperate, we have the right to start disconnection proceedings. Some reasons for disconnection are:
• Failure to pay or make a payment agreement for an overdue bill
• Failure to keep a payment agreement
• Failure to pay a deposit, to arrange for payment of deposit, or to provide someone willing to guarantee payment
• Use of the service without completing the application process
• Failure to provide access for us to read/install a meter or to repair/replace Lubec Water property
• Tampering with the meter or take service without payment
• Misrepresenting who you are to get service
• Failure to comply with a decision of the MPUC or its Consumer Assistance Division
We are not allowed to disconnect for a) unpaid non-basic charges; b) an old bill that was not properly transferred to your account; or c) in a medical emergency (see “Medical Emergency” section). We can disconnect for unpaid estimated bills if you have not responded to requests to allow us to access a meter or provide a meter reading.
Notice: In most cases, we will notify you at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the disconnection date in the notice. But we will give you only three (3) business days notice if you a) have broken a payment agreement, b) failed to pay a deposit, c) had your payment dishonored (bad check); or d) failed to apply for service. We can disconnect without notice only if there is unauthorized use (meter tampering) or a dangerous condition including
danger to our water system. A disconnection notice is good for ten (10) business days after the disconnection date stated on it. The ten (10) days may be extended if you refuse to give us access to the meter or other device to turn off the service. We will not disconnect service on a Friday, a weekend, a legal holiday, the day before a holiday, or on any day our office is not open for business.

Tenant: If you are a tenant and the landlord asks us to disconnect, or if your landlord does not pay the bill, we will issue you a tenant notice and give you the opportunity to put future water bills in your own name. You do not have to pay the landlord’s unpaid bill.
Collection and Reconnection: If our serviceman comes to your premises to collect an overdue payment, we will charge you a $18.00 collection fee. If your water service is disconnected for non-payment, we will charge you a $23.50 reconnection fee during business hours. We must reconnect your water service no later than the next business day once you have paid your overdue bill and fees, or have agreed to a payment plan. In addition, we can require a deposit if you are disconnected for non-payment.
Serious Medical Condition: We will not disconnect or refuse to reconnect residential service when you or someone in your house has a serious medical condition, as long as a registered physician provides specific written certification. If you cannot get a doctor to call right away, you may let us know yourself. We will wait three
(3) business days for the doctor to contact us. Disconnection can be postponed due to a medical emergency for up to 30 days, and can be renewed twice in any 12-month period. A medical emergency does not cancel a bill.
Disconnection and Reconnection/Customer Request: If you request that your water service be temporarily terminated we will charge $23.50, we will charge you a $23.50 reconnection fee during business hours when you wish to have the service reconnected.
V. INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE
We may need to interrupt service on occasion to repair or maintain our equipment. When possible in nonemergency situations, we will let you know why and how long you can expect to be without service. If we must interrupt service to more than 10 customers or for more than five hours in non-emergency situations, we must give you at least 24 hours notice. We will give you more notice whenever possible. If your service must be
interrupted without notice due to an emergency, we will try to let you know as soon as possible how long you are likely to be without service. We maintain a list of customers with special water needs. If being without service would pose a danger or serious damage to you, notify us.
VI. LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES
Lubec Water is liable for damages only to the extent expressly provided in the Maine Tort Claims Act (Title 14, Chapter 741).
VII. COMPLAINTS
If you have questions or complaints, call us. We have employees available during business hours to answer your questions, set up payment agreements, and resolve disputes. We will investigate your complaint and try to resolve it. If you disagree with our answer, you have a right to appeal to the Consumer Assistance Division of the
MPUC, State House Station 18, Augusta ME 04333-0018 (l-800-452-4699).
Before you write or call the Commission, you must give us a chance to respond to your complaint. We cannot disconnect you for a disputed amount, but you do have to pay that portion of the bill that is not disputed. If you contact us before the disconnection date, and we cannot agree on a payment plan or other requirements to stop disconnection, you can appeal to the MPUC as described above.