210 Turley Residents About To Be Billed For Unpaid Sewer Service

More than 200 people in Turley are about to get an unexpected bill for sewage service that's long overdue.

It was the folks at City Hall who figured out there are people in Turley getting sewer service, who aren't paying for it.

In Tulsa, the bills are combined into one, but not in Turley, where the town supplies the water and Tulsa handles the sewer. The community of Turley is just outside the city limits of Tulsa, and just beyond the typical oversight of city utility services.

Every home gets water from the town's independent water district. Every home has sewer service from Tulsa, but until now - believe it or not - signing up to pay for the service was on the honor system, and that didn't always work.

"When people go to Turley to set up the water service, they are given written instruction on who to call in Tulsa to set up their sewer service. Some people did and some people didn't," said Utilities Service Manager Mark Weather.

In a town of 910 homes, 210 aren't paying for their sewer service, but they will be soon.

"Wowie, I wouldn't want to be one of them," said Turley resident Kevin Coffey.

Turley resident Kevin Coffey thinks if people knew they owed the money they ought to have to pay it, but the rest, "No, they shouldn't have to pay for it. Turley ought to have to pay for it, because they haven't been doing their job down there."

The water and sewer bills in Turley are divided. There are 910 households with Turley water. But only 700 are getting Tulsa sewer bills. So, 210 homes have sewer service, but aren't paying for it.

The average sewer bill is $46 a month, and the 210 customers will be billed twice that for up to three years, depending on how they've been in the home.

Tulsa City Councilor Jack Henderson doesn't represent Turley, but his district is next door.

"The tragedy is, they didn't even know they were supposed to be paying, and now they've got to come up with $1,500, and that's a hard lick," Henderson said.

Tulsa's utility services staff says it was a simple oversight that built up over years.

"It's been so low on the radar, it's not become an issue until now," Weather said.

The residents will be getting letters soon about what they owe for up to three years of service, with up to three more years to pay for it.