[OKC] Follow-up on OKC notice regarding water shut-offs

[bwaldrop at cox.net]

On May 7th, I sent a note to Councilwoman Simank regarding the extremely short (24 hour) notice given by the OKC Water Department for water-shut-offs.  I forwarded the letter here and encouraged people to also contact their council people.

Shortly after sending that, I got a note from the council staff saying that my concerns would be sent to the water dept.  Well, it is 2 months later and no one from the water department has responded.  So I sent a reminder note, copied below.

I strongly encourage everyone in OKC to contact the Mayor and their council people about this issue.  There is no reason why OKC can't give a proper ten day notice for water shut-offs.  

This is a social justice issue, and given the way things are going, we need to find ways to bolster the margins of low income communities.  Extreme economic pressure on families drives a host of very negative social and community and personal indicators, including violence against women and children, alcoholism and drug abuse, family dissolution and abandonment, and crime.  Government policies that deliberately increase the financial pressure on low income families are counter-productive.

Bob Waldrop, OKC

Dear Councilwoman Simank,

On May 7th, I sent you the email below regarding the length of notice the city gives regarding utility shut-offs.  Shortly after that, I received an email from your staff saying that my concerns would be forwarded to the water department.

However, it is now July 11th, and no one from the water department has contacted me.  I think an explanation is in order from someone, either you as the political representative of many low income residents, or the water department, as to why Oklahoma City is unable to give a proper 10 day notice of shut-offs.  OGE and ONG have no problems doing this, and I do not understand why Oklahoma City can't do the same.

I will continue to ask these questions until a satisfactory answer is received.

Bob Waldrop
1524 NW 21
OKC, OK 73106
405-613-4688

Dear Councilwoman Simank,

I received a water cut-off notice in the mail yesterday.  In my particular case, it wasn't a big deal because it was an oversight on my part that the bill went unpaid, and I took care of it today.

However. . . 

The "Notice Date" printed on the notice is May 2, 2008.

The postmark on the envelope was May 5, 2008.

It arrived on May 6, 2008.

The notice says this must be taken care of "before" May 7th to avoid shut-off.

It seems to me that 24 hour notice is not enough.  I do a lot of work with low income people, the Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House which I founded delivers food to hundreds of low income people who don't have transportation every month.  It seems likely to me that aside from the occasional dis-organized rate payer like me, most of these notices are going to low income people.

I understand the City needs to collect its bills, but I also think that the City can afford to give a real ten day notice to people in this situation, and the City should do this as a matter of social justice and public health.

My organization doesn't have the funds to help pay utility bills, we used to do that until the food need overwhelmed our bank account.  But we run into people all the time who also request water because their water is shut-off.  We try to connect these people with organizations that can help them, but as I am sure you are well aware, the need is greatly in excess of the actual supply of private charitable funds.

I'm sure that the situation with water is similar to that with electric and gas -- once the water is shut-off, additional fees apply and perhaps an increase in the deposit, all of which can prolong the time without water.

Increasing the misery of people in poverty does little social good, and in fact, I think the research shows it does a lot of social harm.  No running water means no running water to flush toilets, and that can become a serious public health hazard.

Establishing a real ten day notice period, similar to that used by the other utilities, isn't a complete answer to this problem, but it would be a start.  I encourage Oklaoma City to establish a real ten day notice period before water shut-offs.

Bob Waldrop
1524 NW 21
OKC, 73106