Northport: No Past Due Water Bills, Cut 'Em Off

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of good hygiene has been stressed more than anything else.

“Wash your hands regularly,” “take a shower immediately upon entering your home,” and other things along these lines have been stated by numerous healthcare professionals who’ve worked to share information they feel would be beneficial in keeping everyone as safe as possible.

We’ve heard complaints about people being laid off but not given breaks from their rent or mortgage payments. We’ve heard about deferred payments being due as soon as the deferment period ends rather than modifications being given to extend the payment terms or offering an increased payment for a period to absorb the missed payments.

Though the price of gas has decreased, the price of food has increased astronomically.

Simply put, for MANY right now, the money is funny!

It is understood that businesses and governments can’t operate without revenue. However, it seems to be counterproductive to magnify the importance of good hygiene and then suspend water services to residents with financial issues.

Yet, it is said that that’s exactly what’s happening in Northport. A number of residents have taken to social media to express their discontent with the City of Northport suspending water services for some of its customers.

A call to the Northport Water Department to discuss the issue resulted in being left on hold for over five minutes.

Even outside of a pandemic, water is a necessity to life as it is a major component of our bodies; and we have to have it to drink. But it is also necessary for hygienic purposes on an everyday basis. If a person didn’t practice good hygiene before, surely its importance has increased in recent weeks and months.

This is not the first time Northport residents have had issues concerning their water, either. What’s the problem? Is water… the natural resource that nobody MAKES really that precious to the city?