Middletown WPCA adopts written water shutoff policy after debate over residential protections

The Middletown Water Pollution Control Authority voted unanimously to adopt a resolution implementing a written water shutoff policy for delinquent accounts after committee members and the mayor debated how to protect vulnerable residents during enforcement.

The vote came at the end of a special meeting called to consider the fourth draft of the policy; a motion to adopt the resolution as written was moved, seconded and approved in a roll-call vote. Chair Jack Piper said the measure will give the department a documented procedure to use when pursuing long-unpaid balances.

Why it matters: officials said the policy is intended to provide a clear, consistent process for the city to address chronic nonpayment while preserving protections for households with demonstrated hardship. Committee members emphasized that written procedures are needed both to collect long-standing debts and to show regulatory bodies how the city implements terminations.

Mayor Nasara, who participated online, urged caution about residential shutoffs, saying they can create public-health consequences and shift costs to other departments. "Residential turnoffs create public-health issues," the mayor said, and he cited a recent relocation expense he described as "over $30,000" in a single case. He asked the committee to ensure implementation includes careful review and alternatives to termination for at-risk households.

A water-department staff member answering questions said the draft specifically lists income-based protections and casework procedures. "We will not be shutting them off. That is documented in the policy itself," the staff member said, adding that the draft identifies an income band (written in the draft as "125–300% of the poverty level") that would trigger additional protections and outreach, and that the department plans to offer payment plans and documentation checks. The staff member also described a long-unpaid account in which a customer had not paid for seven years and the balance exceeded $8,000.

Committee members debated scope and implementation. Some described the draft as a "soft" policy that prioritizes working with residential customers but allows action where accounts show a prolonged pattern of nonpayment. Other members argued the city must address high-balance commercial accounts that have resisted collection. Several members proposed procedural safeguards, including a subcommittee with mayoral or council representation and an appeals panel to review hardship claims before termination.

The resolution was moved by a member who said they "move the resolution" and was seconded; during the roll call multiple members verbally recorded "aye" and the Chair declared the measure adopted unanimously. Committee members instructed staff to finalize implementation steps and documentation procedures.

Numbers and next steps: during the meeting committee members discussed the scale of unpaid balances; the transcript contains inconsistent numeric references (one speaker referred to the city being "$5,000,000 in the hole," while another pronunciation in the record was ambiguous). Committee members asked staff to provide a clear accounting of outstanding balances and committed to follow-up work on procedural details. The committee also discussed forming an appeals committee and refining notice procedures before field implementation.

The special meeting concluded after the vote and the committee said staff will oversee rollout of the new policy. The committee did not set a further public hearing date during this session.