As we all know the postal system has been failing for several years. Fosterburg Water has addressed the following dealing with lack of postal system failure to deliver in a timely fashion.
The issue at hand, from what FWD has learned, is dealing with all local mail has to go to St. Louis post office for sorting. This is where the problem lies. The mail is transported by third party companies as well as the St. Louis postal system is known for having lag times that are not acceptable by today standards of any sort. FWD has learned more than one third party transport company has stopped transporting mail from outside source's to St. Louis post office creating an even longer time line of any mail being sent or received.
1. FWD has set up an additional box office box for receiving the return payment through the Dorsey post office.
2. FWD has worked with its Billing Software to include the notification service being made available to our customers as to give notification by txt or email that your water bill is ready for viewing. But you have to sign up for the service through FWD web portal (electronic online payment option). Here you can elect to sign up for such electronic notice either general notification or paperless water billing or both. You will be required to give either your email address or your cell phone number. No information is shared nor sold to any third party. Your information is held as private information.
3. FWD has several ways to make a payment. As noted above, web portal, over the phone, drive-up window, walk-in at the office, night drop box at drive-up window. FWD accepts credit cards, cash, checks & debit cards. Note regarding credit cards and debit cards banking fees do apply and are based on the amount being paid. These fees are NOT FWD fees, these are the banking industry's fees as set by the third parties completing the banking trans-action.
4. FWD has 5 separate billing cycles through out each month. The water bills are mailed on 5 separate dates and are typically mailed within a few days from month to month. Depended on weekends and holidays that fall around those mail out dates. Your account number begins with 00 with a 2 digit number thereafter. Ranging from 11 to 53. Depending on your first four numeric value depicts when your water billing due for collecting meter readings, billing process internally, and finally mailing of said water
bills. for route 0011 & 0012 meter reading are completed around the 1st of each month with a mail out date being from the 6th to the 10th of each month, with a due date being on the 27th of the same month. For area 0021 & 0022 Read date of around the 5th of each month with a mail out date being from the 10th - 18th of each month, with a due date of the 5th the following month. For are 0031 & 0032 Read date of around the 10th of each month with a mail out date being 17th - 23rd of each month, with a due date being the 10th the following month. For area 0041 & 0042 Read date of around the 17th of each month with a mail out date of 23rd - 30th of each month with a due date of the 17th the following month. For area 0051 & 0053 Read date around the 24th of each month with a mail out date of 28th - 6th following month with a due date being the 24th the same following month.
This billing practice has been ongoing since 1968 when the District was formed- some 57 years in the making. to date FWD has yet to miss any single mail out billing due date. The lack of not receiving a water bill does not relieve one of the responsibility of the water bill or late fee being assigned thereof. FWD has taken more than adequate steps to ensure the proper processing of preparing and sending the water billing to the post office for delivery. It is NOT due to FWD lack of completing. NO, its is more likely the lack of the postal system not completing its duly assigned duties. It is strongly suggested that you sign up for the general notification through FWD web portal. By completing this you will be notified of when your water bill is ready for review. So long as your email and or cell phone information is correct and Up To Date. It is Not FWD responsibility to inquire abut Up To Date account information. If your email and or cell phone has change, you must notify the office for said changes to be made to your account. Failure to do so will result in the lack of improper notification from FWD.
Lastly- a simple phone call to the office at 618 259 0935 and asking for your account information is always an option and FWD office staff will be more than happy to give you that information over the phone. Especially if you have not received your water billing on those date as mention in item 4 from above. FWD would much rather give you account information vs having to impose a late fee on your account or worse case, termination of water service due to lack of payment. All because the postal service cannot due its due diligence.
FWD is not responsible for postal service issues nor your lack of accountability for your account. You as an account holder of FWD have the end responsibility to keep your account current. It is FWD responsibility to collect, prepare, and to send out per mail service (being the federal postal service) a water billing. FWD has taken additional steps in trying to get the word out to it's customer base as to help the account holders keep current on their account activities.
