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Council codifies leak and pool adjustments, changes how water and sewer credits are calculated
Summary
McAlester moved leak adjustments and pool adjustments from policy into ordinance, separating water and sewer calculations and providing special treatment for sewer‑only accounts; council approved the ordinance and set a standard 30‑day effective date after publication.
The McAlester City Council voted to place leak adjustments and pool adjustments into ordinance language and change the method used to calculate adjustments on customer bills.
Kara, the utility presenter, told the council the change is intended to put current practice into law and to modify the calculation: “Leak adjustments are going to change. We're gonna calculate water adjustments one way and sewer adjustments another way,” she said. Under the new ordinance, water charges related to leaks will continue to be split with the customer in many cases, while sewer charges will be written off based on subtracting the customer's average when appropriate. The ordinance also addresses sewer‑only customers (those who take water from a different supplier but use the city's sewer system), clarifying their eligibility and how adjustments apply.
Council members discussed effective dates and determined, since the item was not presented as an emergency, the ordinance will take effect 30 days after publication. Councilors asked staff to clarify procedures for accounts that receive water from rural providers but use city sewer lines and to return if operational questions arise.
What’s next: Staff will publish the ordinance and update billing procedures and customer communications to reflect the new adjustment calculations and effective date.
