Santa Fe county resident falsely told water bills were overdue

Sean P. Thomas, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·1 min read

Sep. 21—A letter intended to inform Santa Fe County residents of a voluntary water bill assistance program erroneously told ratepayers their bills were overdue.

The letter, sent by Santa Fe County on Sept. 9 alongside residents' September water utilities bill, was supposed to tell ratepayers of a program for customers who may have fallen behind on payments due to the pandemic. But a mistake in wording incorrectly informed residents their bills were overdue and their services were subject to a shutoff, according to a copy of the letter.

A subsequent letter was sent on Sept. 14 clarifying that residents' September bill reflected the correct account status. A post also was made to the county's website.

During the pandemic, Santa Fe County Utilities and other utility companies across the state stopped disconnections for non-payment. The county's Water and Wastewater Operations office will resume disconnections on Oct. 1, according to the letter.

The letter was specifically targeting renters to apply for the New Mexico Emergency Rental Assistance Program by filling out an application at renthelpnm.org or submitting it to the county either through mail or online at sfcutil@santafecountynm.gov.

After the application is process and approved, a payment will be made directly to the account.

Any questions should be directed to the county's Department of Public Works at 505-992-9870, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or the local county Water Utility office.