Water shut-off notices going out to thousands of New York City buildings with unpaid bills
NEW YORK -- Water shut-off notices are going out to thousands of buildings in New York City.
Mayor Eric Adams says it's part of an effort to recover delinquent debts.
As part of a stepped-up collection enforcement effort, around 2,400 accounts are getting notices. Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala describes the accounts as "chronically and egregiously behind."
"They're trying to ghost us and hope that we forget about their bills. But we can't forget, because the rest of us are left picking up the tab, and that's not fair," Aggarwala said.
Adams says the owners of the commercial properties have 15 days to enter a repayment program.
"You have low and moderate income New Yorkers, homeowners, property owners who are doing their share, but large commercial establishments are not doing theirs," he said.
In 2023, the DEP offered an amnesty program that resulted in $22 million in payments and fines being forgiven for 100,000 New Yorkers with unpaid water bills.
Currently, $1.3 billion are owed to New York City's water system.
The mayor says Hotel Hayden in Chelsea owes nearly $400,000 alone.
"Folks have saved millions of dollars by taking us up on our amnesty offer. Hayden, you need to do your job as well," the mayor said.
We've reached out to Hotel Hayden for comment but have not yet heard back.
The DEP commissioner says the department also plans to start legal procedures against co-ops, condos and rental apartment buildings with unpaid water bills.
