Billing and Payments

Water Billing and Payment Collection

This Policy establishes the process whereby water bills are sent to customers, payments are collected, and delinquent accounts are handled.

1. Water bills are sent to customers quarterly, approximately the first of the month, in January, April, July, and October. Usage is based upon actual water meter readings, with a few accounts based upon estimated usage (exceptions only). Major users and some commercial users are billed monthly.
2. Rhode Island Sales Tax is added to all commercial accounts.
3. Due Date of water bill payment is stated directly on the bill, approximately 30 days from Billing Date.
4. Payments received after the Due Date are subject to a Late Fee, per billing period.
5. Accounts that are delinquent two billing periods (either quarterly or monthly), or more, become eligible for water shut-off. Shut-Off Notices are sent to customers with Shut-Off Fee added. Although not directly regulated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), NTFD generally follows its water shut-off process. Once water to a property has been shut off, it will only be turned on by NTFD when the water bill and Turn-On Fee have been paid.
6. Homeowners are ultimately responsible for tenant non-payment of water bills. (RIGL §39-15-12)
7. Homeowners are responsible for the service connection beginning at the Curb Stop and going into their property. NTFD is responsible for the meter itself, after initial purchase.
8. NTFD and its employees have access to all pipes, meters, outside registers, valves, and regulators for purposes of normal maintenance or inspection, and if access is not made available for this purpose, NTFD has the legal authority, after notice by certified mail, to shut off water to the property. (NTFD Enabling Legislation, SECTION 1, Section 6, paragraph 2)
9. Interference or tampering with water meters is a criminal offense. (RIGL §11-35-6)
10. Bypassing water meters with the intent to defraud is a criminal offense. (RIGL §11-35-7)
11. Tiverton Wastewater District (TWWD) may order the termination of water supply service to a property for nonpayment of sewer user fees, charges, and assessments. (TWWD Enabling Legislation SECTION 17, paragraph (4))

Tax Billing and Payment Collection

This Policy establishes the process whereby tax bills are sent to customers, payments are collected, and accounts in arrears are handled.

1. North Tiverton Fire District is a quasi-municipal agency established in 1927, independent from the Town of Tiverton, by State of Rhode Island legislation. NTFD is chartered to provide drinking-quality water for residential and commercial use, as well as water for firefighting purposes. NTFD is empowered to tax. District taxes are used to pay for the maintenance and upgrade of the water treatment and distribution systems. (NTFD Enabling Legislation SECTION 1, Section 8)
2. The criteria for assessed taxes are as follows: water is available for service and a fire hydrant is located within 500 feet of the property line. No allowance is made for property with a well as district water is available for use and for firefighting purposes. (NTFD 12/4/2012 & 7/7/2003)
3. Taxes are based upon assessed building and land value, as recorded with the Town of Tiverton Tax Assessor on December 31 of the prior year, taking into account any Blind, Elderly, or Veteran exemptions. Assessed taxes on commercial property are also based upon tangible assets.
4. Tax bills are sent to property owners in October, approximately the first of the month.
5. Due Date of tax bill payment is stated directly on the bill, approximately 30 days from Billing Date.
6. Payments received after the Due Date are subject to a Demand Fee added in March, and Monthly Interest.
7. Accounts that are in arrears two year or more, become eligible to be sold at Tax Sale, held annually in November, in conjunction with the Town on Tiverton’s Tax Sale. (RIGL §44-9 & NTFD Enabling Legislation SECTION 1, Section 8)
8. Once the Tax Sale process has been initiated on a property, the account will begin to incur all fees and charges associated with the process until district taxes are paid. These include, but are not limited to, the following: title search charges, mailing costs, share of newspaper advertisement costs, share of auctioneer’s fee, share of Collector’s Return charge, and Collector’s Deed charge.
9. Once a property has been sold at Tax Sale, the account will incur all fees and charges associated with the Redemption process.