Raleigh cutting water to hundreds every week because of unpaid bills

The delinquencies are tied to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, officials said. For nearly a year, Raleigh had a moratorium on shut-offs as people struggled to pay their bills amid the ravaged economy.

Unpaid utility bills climbed from $4 million before the pandemic to a high of about $10 million in January before declining to the current $7 million deficit. The annual budget for the city water department is $270 million.

"In our experience, certainly during modern times, this has been the most significant increase in unpaid balances," said Ed Buchan, Raleigh's senior utilities analyst.

About 25,000 accounts are past due, down from 32,000 in January, Buchan said. The city resumed disconnecting water service in February for anyone at least $400 behind, he said.

"That’s our last option. We don’t want to ever cut that service off," he said.

"To me, the stress and anxiety is just unimaginable," said Mary Jean Seyda, chief executive of CASA, a local nonprofit that helps provide affordable housing.

Seyda said she's seen folks struggle for years, but the pandemic's threat to people's health and employment made things much worse.

"All of a sudden, people’s income isn’t reliable," she said. "When you’re on a fixed income, it’s really hard to start paying those bills [and] getting ahead of that."

Raleigh does offer help for customers behind on their water bills, Buchan said.

People can call 919-996-3245 or email customercare@raleighnc.gov for more information about the program.

Buchan said customers also can avoid having their water turned off by setting up a payment plan with the city.