News You Can Use

Help Prevent Mercury Pollution

Mercury is highly toxic, but it is found in common household items. Fever thermometers with silver liquid, batteries, old thermostats, even compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. A very small amount of spilled mercury or a broken bulb can cause widespread contamination. It is essential to identify mercury-containing items and dispose of them properly. Visit www.aswastewatcher.org or utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/mercury-pollution for more information.

Protect Our Rivers by Reporting Pollution

Did you know anything that goes into a storm drain ends up in a pond or one of our rivers without receiving any kind of treatment? Storm drains and storm sewers discharge directly to water bodies. If you see anything other than rain water going into a storm drain, or being dumped into a river or stream, please call 311 to report it. City Utilities will investigate, take steps to find the pollution source and make sure it is cleaned up.

Environmentally Friendly Landscaping

Some of the rain water that falls on your property will go to a pond or river taking with it many of the things it touches. Help protect stormwater quality starting in your yard: When you mow skip bagging and leave clippings on the lawn. Compost yard waste instead of putting it in the trash. Have your soil tested then use only the type and amount of fertilizer you need. Learn more about green landscaping at utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/green-landscaping.

Winterizing Irrigation Systems

If you have an irrigation system and your backflow preventer is located outdoors, remember to either blow it out or remove and store it someplace warm for the winter. You may cover it with a blanket, towels, or similar temporarily. Insulation and/or heat tape may also be used, but would be insufficient protection for the winter. Allowing it to freeze is a costly mistake. For more information visit utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/backflow-prevention.

Your Ditch is NOT Your Dump

When grass clippings and leaf debris is dumped into drainage ditches they not only add excess nutrients to those water bodies, they can also cause flooding due to the restricted waterway. Alternative disposal methods would be:

• Use mulching cycle on lawnmowers.
• Compost at home.
• Take yard waste, including lawn clippings, tree limbs, and leaves to Biosoilds located at 6202 Lake Avenue.

Mulch and Biosolids Available

City Utilities Biosolids Facility at 6202 Lake Ave. offers Biosolids, a soil amendment made from cleaned sewage sludge and composted leaves. Biosolids and undyed wood mulch are free if you want a small amount and load it yourself. The facility is open 8AM – 6AM Monday through Saturday and 12PM – 6PM on Sunday. Learn more at utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/biosolids.

Cease the Grease

Just like in human hearts, fats, oils, and grease (FOG) can cause serious damage to sewer lines. This can increase the rates of sewer overflows and backups. To keep the sewer lines clear and protect our environment, never pour grease down the drain or toilet. Wiping grease away from cooking utensils and disposing of grease in the trash is a simple way of keeping grease out of the drain. Do your part to cease the grease.

Remember It’s a Toilet Not a Trash Can!

Your toilet is intended for just one activity and you know what we mean. Flushing the wrong things can clog pipes and damage plumbing. It can cause sewage to back up into your home or clog the public sewer system. The cost to clean clogged sewers is paid for by customers through sewer rates. So remember: items such as wipes, diapers, latex gloves, condoms, and feminine hygiene products should be disposed of in the trash, not the toilet.

Environmentally Friendly Landscaping

Some of the rain water that falls on your property will go to a pond or river taking with it many of the things it touches. Help protect stormwater quality starting in your yard: When you mow skip bagging and leave clippings on the lawn. Compost yard waste instead of putting it in the trash. Have your soil tested then use only the type and amount of fertilizer you need. Learn more about green landscaping at utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/ways-you-can-help.

Did you know there is a proper way to drain your swimming pool, spa, or hot tub?

The chemicals from these can harm creeks and rivers when drained into storm drains. Storm drains flow directly into creeks and rivers with no treatment. When draining your swimming pool, spa, or hot tub do not add chemicals for one week prior to draining, allowing chlorine levels to drop to zero. Try slowly draining your swimming pool, spa, or hot tub on your own property. You can also slowly drain or pump into your sanitary clean out, just be sure the flow rate is slow enough that it does not cause the sewer to back up and overflow. Check www.acwastewatcher.org to dispose of unwanted pool chemicals or utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/ways-you-can-help/reduce-pollution-at-home for more information.

Note:

1. If we do not receive your payment by the due date, your bill is past due and your account is delinquent. Delinquent accounts will be assessed a late fee in accordance with the Fort Wayne Water Utility General Rules and Regulations.
2. Your water service can be disconnected when your bill payment is past due. If your service has been disconnected, you will need to contact us to schedule a time to turn your water back on after you have paid the total amount that you owe. There may be additional fees for re-connecting service.
3. You can appeal the current charges on your bill. Do this by asking for an Administrative Appeal Hearing, which is described in the Fort Wayne Water Utility General Rules and Regulations. Your request for the hearing must be made in writing and must describe the reason for your appeal. The request must be received by our office on or before the due date of the bill that you are disputing. Please send your request to: Customer Support Manager, 200 E. Berry St., Suite 130, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, or email to crc@cityoffortwayne.org.

Further billing will not cancel this notice!

If you receive another bill from City Utilities, it does not mean that your disconnection has been stopped.

If someone in your home has a serious illness…

City Utilities will delay disconnection of your water service if you provide us with an approved medical statement from a licensed physician before the due date on this notice. The doctor’s statement must show that water service disconnection will be a serious and immediate threat to the health and safety of a person living in your household. Within 10 days of this notification, you must sign an agreement to pay the rest of this bill.

City Utilities reserves and preserves all of its claims, rights, remedies, defenses and causes of actions against all parties.

IMPORTANTE:

1. Si no recibimos su pago para la fecha de vencimiento, su factura está vencida y su cuenta está en mora. A las cuentas en mora se les cobrará un recargo por retraso de acuerdo con las Reglas y Regulaciones Generales de Fort Wayne Water Utility.
2. Su servicio de agua puede ser desconectado cuando el pago de su factura está vencido. Si su servicio ha sido desconectado, necesitará contactarnos para programar la reconexión del servicio después de haber pagado el monto total que debe. Puede haber recargos adicionales por reconectar el servicio.
3. Puede apelar los cargos actuales en su factura. Hágalo pidiendo una Audiencia de Apelación Administrativa, la cual es descrita en las Reglas y Regulaciones Generales de Fort Wayne Water Utility. Su solicitud de audiencia debe ser hecha por escrito y debe describir su razón para la apelación. La solicitud debe ser recibida en nuestra oficina para el día del vencimiento de la factura a disputar o antes. Envíe su solicitud a: Customer Service Manager, 200 E. Berry St., Suite 130, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, o envíe un correo electrónico a crc@cityoffortwayne.org.

¡Las facturas adicionales no anulan este aviso!

Si recibe otra factura de City Utilities, esto no significa que ya no se llevara a cabo la suspensión de su servicio.

Si alguien en su hogar sufre una enfermedad grave…

City Utilities puede retrasar la suspensión de su servicio de agua si nos proporciona una declaración médica aprobada por un médico autorizado antes de la fecha de vencimiento que se muestra en este aviso. Esta declaración debe mostrar la razón por la cual la suspensión del servicio de agua constituirá un riesgo grave e inmediato para la salud y la seguridad de una persona que vive en su hogar. Dentro de 10 días luego de recibir este aviso debe firmar un acuerdo donde se compromete a pagar el resto de esta factura.

City Utilities se reserva y preserva todas sus declaraciones, derechos, compensaciones, defensas y causas de acciones contra todas las partes.