Epcor Water - Fountain Hills AZ Shut Off ALL Water To Seniors Home Regardless of Epcor Automation Payment System NON-Functional / No Phone Payments Allowed! Fountain Hills Arizona

During the last 8 months of 2018, our Family suffered/endured the traumatic loss of/death of 7 family members due to cancer, Alzheimers disease, and a small plane crash. Needless to say, our family was overwhelmed with not only greif, but the immense expenses and time commitments required to address this many unexpected deaths in such a short time frame.

During October through December (3 months) of this same death-filled 2018 year, during this much intense grief and chaos, paying the typical $38.00 monthly Water Bill was inadvertantly, unintentionally overlooked. Nothing more; just an oversight. Likewise, the woman whose family members had been killed / died this year made the mistake of letting her phone voice mail become full & unable to take further messages. It was NOT due to any deception or avoidance or intent whatsoever to not pay the small monthly bill.

This happened in a nearly $One Million dollar custom home, in an affluent neighborhood, with an average household income exceeding over $200,000 dollars annually. Clearly, a $38 dollar or comparable Water Bill is not a financial burden....but again, simply an oversight.

The total unpaid Water Utility Bill had reached just $81.00 dollars!

Nonetheless, without any genuine regard for the child, or pets, or senior residents of the home...Epcor chose to completely shut off all Water to the home - and DOES NOT OFFER ANY FORM OF RECEIVING PAYMENT BY PHONE TO RE-CONNECT THE WATER.

Simultaneously, on the same day the water to the home was shut off, the "Automated" system which is supposed to allow Consumers to make their payments, late fees, re-connects fees, etc. was "malfunctioning" with no explanation given by Epcor Management. Only recourse, according to Epcor Management (after 6 attempts by the home residents to pay Epcor by phone) was to require the residents to physically travel to some specific, designated payment location, pay the Water Bill, then call Epcor yet again to tell Epcor what that "payment confirmation number" was - before Epcor would consider restoring lifesaving Water to the seniors' home.

To clarify, the home had never ever before had any Utility shut off for non-payment of monthly bill...including never before having the home's water shut off for any non-payment.

This type of cavalier, heartless, bureaucratic, robotic, insensitive, power-drunk attitude towards residential Consumers IS EXACTLY WHY THIRD-PARTY COMPANIES LIKE Epcor should NOT be permitted to continue to hold this unquestionable power to make life-saving/life-altering decisions about Utility Services without strict, enforceable Local Government Oversight/Review of such inaccessible power!!!!

Shameful, RUDE, despicable conduct and Water Shut-off policies by Epcor Water SHOULD BE PUT TO AN END!!! Private Corporations like Epcor have NO PLACE in positions of power to give or take life-saving Water from residential Consumers! "Automated" systems which are subject to such erratic non-functionality, without the simple ability of a human being to accept payments in such Emergencies, should be outlawed regarding Utilities!!!

Replace Epcor with an actual Government-run, responsible Water Utility Company!!! NOW!!!

Don't perpetuate the suffering of children, pets, or seniors due to heartless, inadequate private 3rd Party Utility providers!!!!