DEP to Forgive Interest on Outstanding Water Bills of $1,000 or More

By Yehudit Garmaise

New Yorkers who have owed more than $1,000 on their water bills for more than one year can benefit from a new program offered by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that will forgive any interest accrued.

When customers agree to pay 100% of the principal sum of money that is owed, then 100% of the interest charged to accounts will be forgiven, DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said on “Mornings On 1” this morning.

“During the pandemic, a lot of New Yorkers fell behind on their bills,” Aggarwala said. “And DEP, like other utilities, did not do collections. 

“Knowing that a lot of New Yorkers are behind, we think it makes much more sense to help them.” 

The DEP’s amnesty program to forgive interest on outstanding water bills will help the agency to collect the funds it needs to prevent raising the price New Yorkers pay for water.

Even New Yorkers who cannot pay 100% of their outstanding water bills will get their interest forgiven at levels that are commensurate with what they can pay.

photo credit: Flickr