Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Aqua America, Incorporated's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Aqua America, Incorporated

  762 W Lancaster Ave Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-3402

• 

  Aqua Virginia

  2414 Granite Ridge Rd Rockville, VA 23146-2232

• 

  Aqua America

  623 Sanderson Ave Campbell, OH 44405-1421

• 

  Aqua Texas

  PO Box 1229 Newark, NJ 07101-1229

• 

  Aqua Texas, Inc

  2211 Louetta Rd Spring, TX 77388-4706

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Aqua America (AA) Acct #**************** / ************************* Approximately June 2022, we switched banks. (***** to *****) We were set up on autopay. I switched all our autopay accounts over to our new bank, Frost. Aqua America pulled payments out of both accounts for several months. I called and complained starting around July 2022, I spoke with ******* to make sure they were only pulling from *****. There was no change. They kept pulling auto pays from both banks.We finally went to ***** to close our accounts and to complain about the theft/fraud to see if they could help us, they did, a few auto pays were pulled back by *****. We showed ***** where the almost identical amounts were being pulled out of ***** and ***** on practically the same day. ***** was very helpful. We thought all would be ok. We were wrong.My husband, *************************, made several calls to AA. Most notably 9/14/22 to ***; 10/12/22 to *****; 12/14/22 to **** and ******; 12/19/22 to *******; 12/20/22 to *****; and 2/9/23 to *******.I requested an itemized listing of the billing and payments associated with our account today, 2/11/23, through their website. AA pulled $380.45 from our Frost account on 1/6/23 saying it was over due payments, reconnect fees, service deposits, etc. They are nothing more than thieves. They need to be stopped.I have included the Frost auto pays, and some of the ***** auto pays.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2023

  Upon review of the account, the customer has autopay setup through ********************** through one bank account ending in ****. Through 11/22/22 Aqua had also been receiving additional monthly payments via check. The following check payments were reversed: 6/8/22 for $23.49, 6/13/22 for $23.49, two payments on 7/11/22 for *****, 8/9/22 for *****, and two payments on 11/22/22 for $23.49 and $*****. All of these payments were reversed by the customer's bank on 11/22/22. These were not automatic withdrawl payments requested by Aqua but were payments that were received via check from the customer bank. Once, these payments reversed, This caused the customer's balance to increase to $380.45, the reversed charges plus the customer's new charges. The customer's account is now paid to date and Aqua has not received any duplicate payments since 11/22/22. It appears that the issue has been resolved by the customer's bank as they have stopped issuing checks directly to Aqua.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/11/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Settled acct almost 1 year ago. Sold property. Aqua still continue to bill us for land that isn't ours. We have repeatedly contacted them and sent the bill of sale showing acct settled and they are still harassing us. On top of that the owner of the acct is deceased which we told them that as well. Please help get this acct closed. They need to send bill to new owners and stop harassing us.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2023

  Aqua only has one account for the ********* and it is an account they are actively paying on. If there is an additional account, please provide the account number or address so Aqua can investigate your complaint. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2023

  Attached is the bill we received just few days ago. We settled this acct the day the property was sold. We sent you copies of the bill of sale which shows the acct paid in full. We have been harassed for over six months about this acct and have repeatedly asked you to fix this. You never closed the acct or transfered acct to new owner. Fix this immediately and stop harassing us 
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  **** And ***************************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/15/2023

  The account has been corrected and the new owner is now active. We have deactivated your account as of 9/14/21. I final bill was mailed to you on 2/3/23.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2023

  Need confirmation that acct is closed with a ZERO balance if a bill was mailed Feb 3 I should have received it by now and the bill I received last week still shows a balance due of over 1100.  
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  **** And ***************************
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/21/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Just received this today. Per message in bbb complaint they claimed they fixed this. I stated I wanted proof of zero balance. This is why. This acct is not fixed.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** And ****** *******  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2023

  The account was corrected as the customer owned the property from 9/4/14-9/14/21. The customer has never made any payments on the account. The current account balance and bills are correct as rendered.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/24/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]

  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  As you can see I'm the attachments. 
  
  Regards,$1058.42 was paid on Sept 14, 2021 which was total balance due in order to sell property. So again. Fix your book keeping and stop harassing us!!!!!!! You are paid in full for a year and a half. So unless you stole our monies, fix the account to a zero balance immediately and send confirmation acct is closed with no money due so we have proof of your record keeping 

  Husband additionally wanted to let bbb know if you were unaware, in the state of VA, you can not sell property when their are liens against it. So as shown in the paperwork sent, the lien was satisfied which allowed us to sell the property. Aqua va and aqua corporate have book keeping and communications issues but we should not suffer at their inability to operate properly
  
  
  
  **** And ****** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2023

  Aqua has no record of payment for the life of the account. Please provide documentation for proof of payment. In addition, Aqua VA does not place liens on properties.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/29/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  
  
   Complaint: ********

  As
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** And ****** *******
   
  
  
  
  I have provided documentation in the sale agreement of the property. Showing the payment in full at time of sale.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 12/6/22, senior citizen Aqua customer was the victim of financial elder fraud, which resulted in theft to the bank account that was tied to Aqua for payment. In a mad scramble to stop this criminal activity, we knew that our automated bill was going to be processed on 12/7. We called Aqua on 12/6 as part of the many calls that we had to make that day as we didn't want to be late. We alerted Aqua to the situation advising that the bank account would probably need to be closed and the representative noted the account. We made a full effort to cancel the payment on 12/7 (which the system said it was cancelled at the time). And, the old banking was deleted and new banking was entered in. To our surprise, the payment was still processed to the old account and failed and we were issued a late fee/charge for this transaction. Aqua was paid right away by a one-time manual payment. This was a very stressful time being robbed and being taken advantage of, but we tried to do the right thing with Aqua which was a situation that was no fault of our own. We asked for credit on 12/13 for the late charge, which they entered. And, we called again on 1/13 and was told they declined to waiver the late fee. Aqua has showed no empathy for this one-time occurrence and we have never been late. I'm pretty sure this money in these tough times means more to the elderly than Aqua corporation. Aqua for the community you serve, please show some heart. And, please reconsider this credit request.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  The $20 return item fee and the $.04 late fee have been credited back to the account. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been trying for months to set up an auto-pay for AquaAmerica. They claim to have a new system but I've spent most of the day trying to set up an account, only to be bounced out. I was using a "speed pay" that nicks me $2.50 EVERY TIME I use it to pay water bill. Ostensibly this new pmt method routes directly thru AA and has NO fee. But if I can't get into the system there's no way I can use it. AA's billing system is pathetic, yet they can bill customers hundreds of Dollar$ in overcharges with NO effect. This company is useless - their billing is horrible; better to go back to the old way of sending paper checks thru my bank. I've spent more hours trying to set up billing than my bill costs!

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2023

  Aqua launched a new Company website at *****************. There is a temporary issue with setting up Auto Pay. Aqua is working to resolve the issue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Dec 23rd, 2022, I made a payment to Aqua America toward Account # **************** in the amount of $225 (plus a $2.25 convenience fee) toward my agreed payment arrangement for my home's water service. I made the payment by phone because I have not been able to access my account online (I receive an error message) Today, Jan 10th, 2023, I woke up to discover my water was shut off for "non payment." When I call, they say I did not "report the payment." I made the payment BY PHONE, and when I call Aqua, the 1st thing mentioned by the automated attendant is that my payment of $225 posted on 12/23.This is not the 1st time Aqua has done this. I have had more issues than I can count over more than a decade of dealing with them. I do not deny owing money on my account, but this is an obvious exploitation of a low income family with 4 young children, in attempts to collect the full balance prior to the payment arrangement term. Aqua is the only water company available in my area so I do not have any choice but to do business with them. All I want is for my water to be turned back on, and my payment arrangement reinstated.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/11/2023

  Dear Customer:

  Our records show that on October 19, 2022, a 12-month payment agreement was established for $82 plus current charges. The first payment for this agreement was due on December 9, 2022, which we did not receive. On December 19, 2022, a letter was sent to inform the customer that we have not received the required payment due on the payment agreement. We also express in this letter that we must receive a payment of the past due amount of $236.16 by December 29, 2022, in order to continue with the payment arrangement. The fourth paragraph of this letter also states that we need the customer to contact Aqua to provide proof of payment to continue this payment arrangement. The request for the call is for the customer to continue with the payment agreement because, at this point in the letter, the customer is no longer under the terms of the agreement because the payment wasnt made by the due date. Since the payment agreement was no longer active, on December 20, a shutoff notice was generated for the full past due amount. This letter explains that the past due amount must be paid to avoid disconnection and also states that the customer should contact Aqua if they need any payment arrangements. The original shutoff date was January 3, 2023. By the time the payment was made, the shutoff notice was already generated for the arrears. After these three communications, still to this day we have not received a call regarding the disconnection or to establish a payment agreement. The customer should contact Aqua  evaluate the options they have for the reconnection of their service.

  Please note that when there is a shutoff notice, this order has already been dispatched to the field and a payment will not automatically cancel this order, especially when the agreement is no longer in effect. Therefore, it was suggested numerous times that the customer contact the utility company.

  To reconnect service, the customer must pay $753.47 and we are willing to waive the $25 reconnection fee. If there is someone in the home with a serious medical condition, a medical certificate can be provided for a physician to fill out to restore the services. We also have two assistance programs that can help with service reconnection. Illinois Aid Program and Lihwap. For more information, the customer must contact our call center from Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/03/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 1/3/2023 at 4:04pm central time aqua sent a notice that water would be off on 1/4 for 7 hrs during the day and that there is a boil notice afterwards. They purposefully waited until after customer service closed for the day to notify us of the planned interruption for the next morning. I have to prep for a medical appointment on 1/5 and that prep requires access to a functional toilet and you're not even giving us 24 hrs notice!?This company has extremely high prices and extraordinarily bad customer care. As high as our water rates are the entire system should be gold plated and of the highest quality. Instead we are overcharged for a barely functional service.This is the 4th boil notice in the last month. Resident should not be charged for water that is unfit to drink. I want a bill credit for the constant inconvenience, terrible service, and unpotable water.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2023

  11/28/22 Boil advisory issued from the City of Houston, Aqua's water supplier. Boil advisory issued on 11/28/22 at 9:04am and was listed on 11/30/22 at 9:30am. 12/21/22 Main break causing low pressure lasting less than 4 hours. No boil advisory issued. 12/23/22 Low pressure caused by frozen interconnect sensor. Boil advisory issued on 12/23/22 at 10:53am and lifted on 12/25/22 at 5pm. 01/4/23 Facility maintenance alert issued on 01/04/23 to advise customer that repairs were being made on 01/05/23 and the estimated outage time would be 7 hours, but did end up lasting 10 hours. Boil advisory issued on 01/04/23 at 4:05pm and lifted on 01/06/23 at 10am. The customer called an spoke with a customer service representative on 01/04/23 at 9:27am to ask about maintenance notification and to request for a credit. They also spoke with multiple supervisors regarding the situation and was apologized to later the same day regarding the outage lasting longer than expected. If the customer has any additional questions they can contact Aquas customer service department can be reached at ************** between hours of 8:00 AM 5:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/03/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My water bill was 900 and has been cut off since August… that’s the last time I had service. But now im forced to pay $1300 just to get my services back on… I’ve been sent shut of notices since August with different amounts to the the point I don’t know what to pay…. I’ve been begging for assistance but no supervisor has actually reached out.. I just want to know how did my bill get so high and why it’s changing every month and I don’t have water… I want to pay but I need a set amount

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2023

  The customer has never held a zero dollar balance on their account. The customer's account began October of 2021 and 15 billing statement have issued since that time and only 5 of the customer 7 attempted payments were approved by the issuing bank. 

  
  

  According to our records, the customer's service was shut off for non-payment on 9/2/22 and there has been no usage at the property. However, bills do contiune to bill as the account is still active and Aqua has a base charge per service that is billed regardless of usage. 

  
  

  Currently, the customer has a past due balance of $1236.82, however the minimum that would be needed to restore service is $934.12 which is the amount on the last shut off notice plus a $25 reconnection fee. Once this is paid, the customer can call Aqua to report the payment with a confirmation number to scheduled their reconnection. The remaining balance on the account can then be placed on a payment plan if the customer desires.

  
  

  Supervisors have either spoken to the customer to advise of what is needed or have attempted to reach out. The supervisors have reached out to the customer on 9/23/22, 9/26/22, and 12/13/22.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/28/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We have been charged more than 3x our typical rate for aqua. They said there was excessive water usage but there has been no change in the way we use water, no sign of leakage, and our neighbors are experiencing the same price gouging. I asked aqua to re-evaluate the bill and/or have someone out and they threatened to shut off service after one bill was not paid (as Im disputing it). I am currently on maternity leave and asked them to push the shut off date from the 29th to the 30th (last pay day of the month) and they said no. They are price gouging, not practicing a fair business model and making it impossible for someone to pay them when needed if the shut off occurs before the last of the month. There is something fishy going on and Aqua refuses to look into it. They told me even if there is something wrong they would not be adjusting my bill. My bills average $60-100 a month. Im receiving bills for over $300.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/28/2022

  Yes, Aqua the water company. Sorry for the confusion. 

  Business Response

  Date: 01/10/2023

  12/22/22 ***** called to schedule a high consumption appointment. 

  
  

  1/3/23 Aqua visited the property and found nothing wrong with the meter. 

  
  

  Aqua has 30days to respond to a dispute according to PUC regulations. The customer will receive a letter, but it will state the following:
  

  The customer has experienced fluctuating/increased usage for 3 months with the most recent month being lower than the previous which indicates there may be a leak.  The customer can contact a licensed plumber to inspect for leaks. Based on the last reading, it appears that the consumption is decreasing, however, this cannot be guaranteed based on if there is a leak and what triggers the leak (faulty toilet flap,outside hose, shower head, washer hose etc).

  Aqua cannot determine exactly how the water was used or what may have generated the increase in usage, only that it registered on the meter. Aqua does not provide leak adjustments but does offer payment arrangements to help assist in paying bills.  If the customer would like a payment arrangement, they should contact Aqua at the number listed below.

  If the customer feels the meter is not working accurately, they should contact the call center at the number listed below to schedule an appointment to have it tested.  The customer will receive the results from Aqua's meter shop.  If the meter shows to not be accurate, the customer will receive an adjustment.

  The customer was offered a payment arrangement but refused and paid the balance.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/27/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We reported a water outage on Dec 22 2022 and continued to report the outage daily. The emergency phone line was extremely difficult to get through on and repeatedly dropped calls. Other neighbors with the same outage called and also had difficulty getting through, although we were all assured our tickets were getting submitted by the customer reps. A technician came out on Dec 23, but only looked at the main pump house, made no house visits and no repairs or other actions to resolve the issue. On Dec 27, after calling and submitting tickets for days, we spoke to another customer rep that said no tickets had been submitted since the 23rd. All the previous customer reps had assured us that tickets were being submitted. The last rep, ******* was very helpful, but was still unable to give us a timeline on our water returning, despite it being almost a week of no water. We are very concerned about the unethical behavior of a company providing an essential service where there is no alternative provider.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2023

  In response to the customer complaint, customers in the ******** ***** subdivision experienced delays when reaching out to Aquas after-hours customer service center during the Christmas holiday weekend due to exceptionally high call volumes because of the winter storms. Additional staffing was brought in to assist with the high call volume.

  Other steps taken to address customer inquiries included:

         Addressed general inquiries via social media posts and our website providing helpful tips and updates

         Directed customers to the website to sign up for real-time alerts

         Responded directly to customer inquiries via email and telephone calls

         When we recognized the call center was overwhelmed, Aqua North Carolina issued a WaterSmart alert (via telephone, text,and email) requesting customers utilize email address for reporting outages.

         Added additional staff to assist with responding to customer inquiries via email and telephone calls

  We recognize that we could do a better job for our customers by providing more information on our website with more details.  In addition, directing customers to send us emails without updating the acknowledge message was an oversight on our part and were sorry that happened.Weve identified what went wrong and are taking steps to improve the process.

  There were several system emergencies within in the distribution system that triggered low pressure and service outages. Aqua crews and contractors worked diligently to complete repairs to get the distribution system up and running at full capacity.  The storm had a major impact in Aquas service territory throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday.

  Aqua regrets any inconvenience our customers experienced and will continue to look at new technologies that will help us tangibly improve the customers experience with Aqua.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/24/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Aqua America is our only choice for water companies within our HOA because they own the land the well sits on. However, they have not done their due diligence to ensure the safety of our drinking water, nor the availability of our water during peak or emergency moments. We are currently struggling with a hard freeze, which all utility companies knew was coming for weeks (Dec 22-24, 2022). Aqua failed to properly prepare for this and as such we have had no water for the last three days. It's not so much the lack of water as it is the lack of communication from Aqua and the over the top dismissal of calls to their "emergency" call center. They are now not even answering the phone. Customers in our hoa have called numerous times to be told "frozen pipes" and hung up on before they've even uttered a word. Or hung up by the SUPERVISOR for asking when they were sending someone out. This is completely and totally unacceptable. We've lived in this association for a little over a year now and this is our 4th boil water notice in which we've had to boil all water for over a week to wash ourselves, our dishes, brush our teeth, etc. We have numerous videos from neighbors of brown water pouring out of the bathroom faucets. And again, no communication, no rectifying the issues, and no prior proper planning. We feel as if we are stuck in and have no back up as to what we can do. Is there ANY government oversight to these privately held utility companies requiring them to have some sort of health standard for water? Is there anything we can do?

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  12/23/22: Low pressure at source caused outages lasting between 4-12 hours. Boil advisory issued on 12/23/22 at 9:43am and was lifted on 12/27/22 at 5pm.
  
  The water outage was caused due to the electrical controls for the booster and GST froze. This was repaired and then the next day both controls were not operational and had to be replaced.
  
  According to TCEQ regulation §290.45(b)(1)(D)(v) emergency power is required for systems which serve more than 250 connections and do not meet the elevated storage requirement. Currently, the Estates of ****** ***** subdivision has less than 250 connections and is not required to have a permanent standby generator.
  
  Because of the weather, there was an increase in the number of calls coming into Aqua. This made it difficult for all calls to go through. As this was a concern a form was added to our website at aquaamerica.com for customer to use to report outages and pressure loss.
  
  If the customer has any additional questions or concerns, they can contact Aqua’s customer service department can be reached at 1 877 987-2782 between hours of 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/09/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Aqua states in this letter that the reason the controls froze was because we didn't have a generator. Number one-the only reason why they would have froze is because Aqua did not insulate them properly in preparation for the freeze, which they knew was coming for over two weeks. Secondly, we do have a generator. A generator that was installed BY AQUA in 2021. So even WITH the generator the problem still occurred so that is not a valid reason for what happened. The Aqua tech that finally did make his way out on the 3rd day to rectify the situation (and that was only on request of the fire department who had to be called because thousands of gallons of water was spewing out of the top of the holding tank and Aqua would not answer their "emergency" line) said one of the possible ways to rectify this in the future was to plant a line of trees or build a wooden fence to deflect the wind which causing an unacceptable wind chill. This has not been done, nor have we heard anything back from Aqua with regards to the complaint filed directly from them. Over 150 calls were placed to Aqua during the course of the 3 days from various residents and the Aqua tech said customer service only received "one call" which is why they didn't assume it was emergent enough to come out. Also, I filled out the form for emergencies which WAS on their website prior to this event. They responded the next day with a generic "someone will reach out to you in the next 48 hours"-which they didn't.  
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2023

  The response original response states that the outage was caused due to electrical controls for the booster and GST froze. Not because of the generator. The information given in regards to the generator was for informational purposes. Even if there was a generator, because the electrical controls were damaged an outage would have occurred regardless. Preventative measures were taken to reduce the likelihood of an outage occurring. However, not all situations are preventable or predictable. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience that this may have cause but Aqua followed all required and necessary steps needed.