Officials of the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority said County Commissioner Tim Boyd had a lock placed on his water meter this week after he fell behind on his sewer payments.
Cleveland Grimes, WWTA executive director, said he was informed by water company officials that the water was cut off at the meter at the Boyd residence in East Ridge.
After it got turned back on, it was necessary to place a lock on the meter, he said he was told.
Since then, Commissioner Boyd paid the sewer bill and the water is back on with the lock removed.
Commissioner Boyd declined comment.
Chris Clem, attorney for the WWTA, said the agency early on began sending cutoff notices to customers who had gone 60 days without paying the sewer bill.
He said that was done after the payment rate went from 96 percent to 42 percent after the water company stopped included the sewer bill with the water bill.
Attorney Clem said with the crackdown, the sewer payment rate is back up to around 90 percent.
He said several notices are given, but if the payment is not made after 60 days the water company is told to cut off the water at the meter.
The attorney said if the customer turns the water back on, a lock is then placed on the meter.
If the lock is cut, the meter is removed, attorney Clem said.