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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=26029
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House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: June 13, 2018 03:19 PM
From: Representative Austin A. Davis
To: All House members
Subject: Addressing the Issue of Single Water Meters Servicing Multiple Units
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce a two-bill package of legislation that will seek to address the problems that can arise from single water meters that serve multiple units in a housing complex.

The first bill amends Chapter 14 (Responsible Utility Customer Protection) of Title 66 (Public Utilities) requiring homeowners associations (as defined by the Internal Revenue Service) be subject Public Utility Commission jurisdiction if the HOA collects money from unit owners or rental unit managers, then pays a water or sewage bill to a regulated water or wastewater utility on behalf of the unit owner or rental manager.

The second bill would amend Title 68 (Real and Personal Property) of the consolidated statutes to require that, in order to individually sell a dwelling within an existing multi-family property which is presently master-metered, each occupied dwelling must have a separate water meter.

Both of these bills are in reaction to a recent situation in my district where several residents of a Clairton housing complex (Century Townhomes) lost tap water for about six hours after Pennsylvania American Water suspended service, citing long-unpaid charges. One meter services the entire complex of hundreds of units. The homeowners association collected money from individual units and then allegedly paid the water and sewer bill on their behalf. In the meantime, Century homeowners association declared bankruptcy, due in part to an outstanding bill that was substantially past due and never paid.

I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this important package of legislation. As Pennsylvania citizens, our Constitution guarantees our right to clean, drinkable water and should not depend on where you live or your zip code. These bills will ensure that fundamental right.



Document #1

Introduced as HB2546

Description: Amending Title 68 - Real and Personal Property
  View Attachment
 

Document #2

Introduced as HB2545

Description: Amending Title 66 - Public Utilities
  View Attachment