http://www.ohio.com/bj/news/docs/025872.htm

Published Thursday, February 10, 2000, in the Akron Beacon Journal.

Shut-off notices are a mistake

Another glitch affects Akron water customers as billings again go awry

BY GREGORY KORTE Beacon Journal staff writer

About 3,000 water customers in West Akron, Firestone Park, Fairlawn and Mogadore received shut-off notices from the city this week -- even though they were completely paid up on their bills.

The sending of the erroneous notices is the latest foul-up for the city's problem-plagued water billing system, which has meant late bills and late payment postings for customers since the new system went online in October.

It has also meant jammed phone lines at the water billing office, and many customers have been unable to get through to even ask about their bills.

The latest problem happened when the computer system used the wrong date to calculate late payments.

Michael McGlinchy, the utilities services manager who oversees the water billing office, said city officials should have caught the error, but didn't.

The Public Utilities Bureau has set a self-imposed deadline of April to bring its billing up to date and get it on a consistent schedule. McGlinchy said the billings, once 14 days behind schedule, are now only eight days behind.

But until then, many customers will get two bills this month. City officials said customers shouldn't be concerned if the second bill doesn't reflect a recent payment, as long as they pay by the due date on the bill.

And if they have paid, they can ignore the shut-off notices.

However, customers can -- and are encouraged to -- write or call in their actual readings to a new phone line: 330-375-2321. Readings can be faxed to 330-375-2308 or mailed to the Utilities Business Office, 146 S. High St., Akron, OH 44308.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), February 10, 2000

Answers

Glitch confuses water customers - New Mexico

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), February 10, 2000.

Notice that "Y2K" was never mentioned in the original story - though this is a classic y2k-induced failure from a bad program poorly tested and hurriedly introduced with little training and "turnover" time between the old and new processes.

Told you so.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 10, 2000.