NEWBERRY COUNTY — Ed and Christine Keschinger of Prosperity spoke with the Newberry County Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors in regard to their water being cut off while they were on vacation.
This September the couple went on a 16-day vacation around Labor Day and when they returned home at 10:30 p.m. their water was off.
“My husband and I have always paid our bill on time. We have been customers of yours for over 12 years, never been late, never missed a payment,” Christine Keschinger said. “My husband turns the water off in the house, just in case something breaks, if we are gone for extended period of time. He went to turn it back and and then he came up and said ‘We have no water.
“Then I played the tape on the answering machine, and a gentleman called the house, but it did no good because we were in Denver,” she said.
The next day the Keschingers spoke with Daniel Quattlebaum, assistant manager of NCWSA, who told them there would be a $75 service charge to have it turned back on. Keschinger said she was horrified and offended.
“We told him, and he was very nice by the way, we have always been good customers, look at our account. We have never been late, we never got a bill,” she said. “You have a net 20 days, and my understanding mail in Newberry goes all the way to Columbia and comes back.”
Ed Keschinger added he wished someone looked at their account and their payment history before turning the water off, saying they are good customers who pay on time every time.
“We are extremely sorry for your inconvenience, one of the things we try and offer is numerous ways you can pay, for example we have automatic draft option,” said Brent Richardson, manager of NCWSA. “One thing the board has very good policies and procedures in place. We try and stay way from putting our employees in a position to try and judge if a customer is a good customer or a bad customer.”
Richardson said that the NCWSA appreciates the Keschingers business, and that they are important customers. Richardson said their cell phone number would be added to their account so they can be reached that way in the future.
Other business
• Water distribution reported three main line breaks; Bachman Chapel Road (eight inch major pipe failure), Grant Drive (six inch minor split) and Kibler’s Bridge Road (2.5 minor split). Two new water services were installed.
• Wastewater Collection reported no main line breaks and no new services installed.