Maywood Threatens To Shut Off The Tap For Residents With Overdue Water Bills
CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the second day in a row, more than a hundred people have lined up at the village offices in west suburban Maywood, after being notified their water service would be shut off if they didn't pay overdue bills.
Dozens stood in the rain, and then inside Maywood Village Hall, shutoff notices in hand. One man said his notice told him "your water's going to be cut off today, if you don't bring it up to current."
He and residents who received the shutoff notices said they only got them in the past couple days, so haven't had enough time to pay, or don't have the money right now.
"Two days is not enough time to even say, well I need to get up here to see what I can do, to see what my options are, to see what I can pay, to see if I can take care of this," said one woman in line.
Village Manager Willie Norfleet Jr. said the village is $1 million in the hole on water bills, and shutoff notices were only sent to residents who haven't paid their water bills in 60 days or more. He said the village has its own bills to pay.
"Anytime you have deficits, I think you've got to press the issue somewhere to get the proper results," he said.
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Some residents complained the village was being too harsh, but Norfleet said some delinquent payments are more than a year overdue.
"It's not an attempt to literally shut the water off, and say too bad. Some, or most, are going to have to come up with some money, so we can keep going," he said.
Norfleet said it would be unfair to residents who pay their bills on time to have to pay more to cover the cost of those who haven't paid. He said shutoffs likely won't begin until after Monday.
Residents would have to pay a $300 fee to get their water turned back on if it is shut off for non-payment.
Payments can be made with cash, check, money order, or credit card at the village hall, located at 40 Madison St. in Maywood, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
