NASHVILLE - The state House today approved legislation blocking the Hamilton County sewer authority from continuing to hit up property owners for debts owed by their renters.
But the bill, which passed 85-0, also authorizes the Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority to require up-front deposits based on past usage and payment history.
Rep. Marc Gravitt, R-East Ridge, sponsored the bill, which is intended to ease property owners and their agents' concerns about being responsible while also giving the WWTA a new tool to improve renters' payments.
The authority's ability to collect bills became a problem several years ago when investor-owned Tennessee American Water decided to stop including WWTA sewer charges on the company's water bills.
