NOTICE TO RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS

Moratorium on Water Service Termination and Opportunity to Enter Into Deferred Payment Agreements (DPAs)

Dear MVWA Customer:

On May 11, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed into law amendments to the Public Service Law and General Business Law that provide an expansion of the moratorium on terminations and disconnections of water services to customers during and after the COVID-19 state disaster declaration.

Pursuant to those amendments, service termination is prohibited for an additional 180 days after either the COVID-19 state of emergency expires, or December 31, 2021, whichever occurs first, if a residential or small business customers has experienced a change in financial circumstances due to the COVID-19 state of emergency.

If you are a resident or small business and have experienced a detrimental change in financial circumstances due to COVID-19, and would like to request relief from service termination during the 180 days following the expiration of the COVID-19 state of emergency, you must notify the MVWA by contacting customer service by telephone at (315) 792-0301, or by completing and mailing in the COVID-19 financial hardship form.

Note that the law does not eliminate a customer’s obligation to pay accrued charges. If, however, you have experienced a change in financial circumstances due to the COVID-19 emergency, you will be provided with the opportunity to enter into a Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) without the imposition of deposits, late fees or penalties. If you are a residential or small business customer who wishes to enter a DPA, please contact Customer Service. Additional information and supporting documentation from customers seeking to enter a DPA may be required.

If you wish to enter a DPA with the MVWA, your service must be currently active. You will be required to complete an application and certify that your financial circumstances have changed due to the COVID-19 crisis. If you are a small business, you must also certify that your business has 25 or fewer employees, is not a publicly held company, or a subsidiary thereof, and is not a seasonal, short-term or temporary MVWA customer. You will also be required to stay current with any future water bills once the COVID-19 state of emergency has been lifted.

Customers that do not request protection from service termination or do not enter into a DPA will be subject to regular service termination procedures upon the expiration of the Public Service Law’s protections.

These protections are available only to discontinuance of customers due to COVID-19 hardships. They do not protect customers from disconnection for other causes such as dangerous conditions, illegal or fraudulent use of services, or failure to abide by the MVWA Rules & Regulations. Payment plans will not extend beyond the expiration date set by this law.

Please note that the payment deferral is available only for the payment of water services. However payments will be applied to sewer charges once water bills have been satisfied, as this is our protocol for the application of payments.

Please direct any questions and concerns to MVWA customer service by telephone at (315) 792-0301 or use our contact form for additional questions. Forms and information can be located at our COVID-19 Moratorium site.