Arlington is resuming water shutoffs for late payments. How to get (or give) help.
Arlington Water Utilities will resume disconnecting service and charging late fees on past due accounts starting Monday.
Moving forward, Arlington Water Utilities will be more flexible with payment arrangements and aid, utilities Director Craig Cummings said. However, with more resources and after a nearly a year of paused disconnections, officials decided to resume charging late fees and shutting off service if people with outstanding bills do not call the city to make alternate payment plans.
City employees have made over 700 phone calls to people with past due balances over $300 and sent out nearly 3,000 emails this month to those with accounts at least two months past due.
“For us, shutting someone off is basically a failure,” Cummings said. “We don’t want that to happen, so we’re doing everything we can to make sure that it doesn’t happen.”
Accounts two months or more past due have accounted for nearly $844,000 in outstanding balances, according to the city.
The city partnered with Mission Arlington, Arlington Urban Ministries and Catholic Charities of Fort Worth over the summer to administer its utility assistance program, Care and Share. The program has existed since 1994 for those who make 80% or less of the city’s median income. Available funds have grown over the years through donations from individuals and groups, with the amount available totaling around $100,000, Cummings said.
Cummings said the department’s goal is to move as many people through the program who qualify and work with people to arrange other payment plans or apply for other county or federal assistance programs. He also hopes the fund will continue expanding after the pandemic.
“I’d love if there was nothing in (the Care and Share) program because that would show that it was entirely effective getting those dollars back out into the community,” Cummings said.
People with past due bills can call Arlington Water Utilities customer service at 817-275-5931 to make payment plans, speak to city staff about their account or make a donation to the fund. Those looking for payment assistance can also call the participating charities directly. The charities will determine customers’ eligibility for assistance.
Utility assistance is also available through Fort Worth’s Community Action Partners.
Arlington residents struggling to pay rent or experiencing homelessness may be eligible for CARES Act funding through the Arlington Housing Authority. More details are available at arlingtonhousing.us or by calling 817-276-6762.
