City of New York extends amnesty program to forgive water debt interest

If you owe the city money for water consumption and don’t want to pay with interest, there is still time to take advantage of an opportunity that started in January of this year.

And it is that Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday the extension of the amnesty program for all debtors until May 31.

“If you pay 100 percent of the entire debt, 100 percent of the interest will be forgiven,” the mayor said.

“New York City has the best municipal drinking water supply on the planet, and now it will be instrumental in putting more money in the pockets of workers,” the mayor also wrote in a message on social networks about the extension of the amnesty.

New York City has the best municipal drinking water supply on the planet — and now it’s going to be integral to putting more money in the pockets of working people.

Join us now at City Hall: pic.twitter.com/dl8KdL2W5n

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) May 1, 2023

If 50 percent is paid, 75 percent of the interest and if 25 percent is paid, 50 percent of the interest will be forgiven. An opportunity that the residents of the Shoreheven housing association in the US Bronx did not miss.

“We are still responsible for the main account, or they forgave all the interest and that saved us a lot more than 400 thousand dollars,” said Aidé Rosario, president of the Shorehaven Association.

The program has helped 86,000 customers save $12 million and the Department of Environmental Protection has recovered more than $80 million in past due accounts.

🫧 #SeAmplíaElPlazo

The city has extended the successful water bill program for another month: 86,000 New Yorkers have already participated and saved money.

If you or a loved one need help paying your water bills, visit: pic.twitter.com/cfnpE6bGbq

— New York City (@nycgob) May 1, 2023

However, of the 200,000 customers with late bills, only 40% have been matched, 60% of delinquents still owe millions.

In the image you can see one of the buildings on the list of shame for not paying the water bill valued at almost 250 million dollars, it owes more than 420 thousand dollars in water consumption.

The mayor put him in the front row so that maybe they’ll deign to pay. “It seems to have worked,” Adams said, “they called to come to an agreement.”

“We can’t allow million-dollar buildings and mansions for the rich not to pay, so we’ve placed a water shutoff notice on them,” Adams said.

“If clients do not pay their debts we must raise the cost for everyone, that is, they will pay just for sinners and that is not correct,” said the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, Rohit T. Aggarwala.

“Out of six years left, in three we got out of debt. So we are super proud that our efforts, knocking on the doors of all the elected officials, helped put this program for the entire city of New York,” Rosario added. .