Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 124 (EO 124) and EO142 require providers of end-user, residential water and wastewater, among other things, to suspend disconnections of residential service for nonpayment through July 30, 2020, and suspend assessment of all penalties for late payments of monthly service charges incurred from March 31, 2020 through July 30, 2020.

Monthly service charges are billed in town limits on the 29th day of the month at a rate of $15.50 + $2.20 per 1,000 gallons of water and $12.50 + $5.00 per 1,000 gallons of sewer, with a minimum of 1,000 gallons. Charges are $25.50 + $2.90 per 1000 gallons of water and $20.50 + $5.15 per 1000 gallons of sewer for service outside town limits. The executive order applies to bills issued March 31 – July 30, 2020.

Please note that EO 124 does not extinguish or waive your account balances. If you had an existing unpaid account balance as of March 31, 2020, you need to continue to pay toward that account balance. The Town of Sims has continued to bill our normal charges for services provided after March 31, 2020, and you remain legally responsible to pay all amounts due on your account.

EO 142 is currently effective until July 30, 2020. On July 31, 2020, we will resume our normal disconnection and late fee policies. You will, however, have until January 31, 2021, to pay any delinquencies that you incur from March 31, 2020 through July 30, 2020 if you set up a payment plan before July 30.

Recognizing the financial hardship many people now face, and in compliance with EO 124, the town is offering this payment plan to customers who are unable to pay their current account balance in full and/or who will be unable to pay their account balances between now and July 30, 2020.

To the extent you are able, we encourage you to continue to pay the full amount owed on your account to avoid accumulating large account balances.

Click here for a copy of this information, our normal water and sewer policies, and a copy of the payment plan form.