Williamtown residents are up in arms after being sent reminder notices by Hunter Water for overdue water bills.
The Department of Defence told Red Zone residents that their bills would be fully subsidised for the next three years to compensate for their exposure to the toxic chemical PFAS.
A third of the 750 affected homes in Williamtown connected to town supplied water after the announcement was made earlier this year.
Fullerton Cove Residents Action Group President Lindsay Clout says there needs to be more transparency for vulnerable Williamtown residents.
'It's disgraceful. On this issue here, there needs to be complete clarity that if they want to send the bills to us so that we can track our water usage, the bill needs to be stamped 'copy only, Defence will pay' because we identified this problem months and months ago and it hasn't been repaired. I just think it's sloppy performance and ignoring the people that have been contaminated.'
In a written statement, Hunter Water says it will not pursue payment collection in Williamtown, but residents are required to submit paperwork to the Department of Defence in order to legally process payments:
'There is no expectation of payment by these customers, as the Department of Defence has committed to paying their water bills for three years. Hunter Water will not pursue collection of payment for any customer in the Williamtown Management Area for the duration of this commitment.
'All customers in the Williamtown Management Area should have received a letter with their first bill informing them of why they are receiving a copy. While they are not responsible for payment for the duration of the Defence's commitment, Hunter Water is issuing the bills so customers can understand their usage patterns.'
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| Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAAF_Base_Williamtown |
