Reading, PA — The County of Berks, the City of Reading and Reading Area Water Authority are pleased to announce that they have reached tentative settlement agreements to resolve the unpaid service for a meter in the basement of the Berks County Services Center that had been unbilled since 1992. The tentative settlement calls for the County to pay a total of $750,000 to completely resolve the issues through a $375,000 lump sum payment to the City and a $375,000 lump sum payment to RAWA.
Officials from all three entities noted that they are pleased to have reached an agreement to resolve this issue and move forward. The agreements are expected to be voted on at upcoming City Council and RAWA meetings. The City of Reading provides sewer services to the County’s facilities located within Reading and bills for those services through the Reading Area Water Authority.
“We thank the City of Reading and the Reading Water Authority for working with the County to reach a resolution that benefits all three parties,” County Commissioners’ Chair Christian Y. Leinbach said. “We are very pleased to continue to engage with our city to improve relationships and agreements to benefit the greater good for all the residents we represent.”
The unbilled meter in the Berks County Services Center was discovered in February 2019. At that time, it was determined that the services measured by the meter had not been billed since the building was constructed in 1992. The Berks County Services Center has a second meter that had been measured and billed since the beginning.
The tentative settlement agreement notes that the County acknowledges it used sewer and water services provided by the city and RAWA for the time period in question that were not paid for previously. The County will make the settlement payments within 30 days of the approval of the agreements from the City and RAWA.
The City and RAWA will agree to accept the settlement amount as full payment for all past water usage by the county since the construction of the Berks County Services Center through the date of the agreement and satisfy the account in full for the line.
“The agreement between the parties, resolving the above-mentioned issue, is a demonstration of the willingness and commitment our Administration has to work for the betterment of the City of Reading,” said Mayor Eddie Moran. “We thank the negotiators for keeping a professional and honest conversation to reach a settlement that could benefit all entities.”
