Inheriting a property can be life-changing for someone in need of stable housing, but sometimes people inherit more than a house. When Denise moved into the property she inherited, she also had to take on the debt owed to the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). Denise applied for the WRAP program so that she could make affordable payments, but she was rejected because her water meter was broken and could not register her usage. Even after PWD installed a new meter, Denise was still unable to get on WRAP, and her water was shut off. For weeks, Denise had to rely on friends and family for life-essential water service.

 

CLS attorney Rob Ballenger represented Denise with PWD, successfully getting her water restored. But Denise's relief didn't last long. Soon after PWD turned on the water at the curb valve, a second crew came to test the valve. That's when water suddenly began to seep up from the sidewalk. A broken valve is grounds for shutoff, and once again, Denise faced the possibility of not having water for bathing, cooking, and drinking. Rob advocated with PWD, arguing that the second crew must have damaged the valve because there were not any previous problems. PWD agreed to repair the leaky valve at no cost, sparing Denise a crushing financial burden. To address the WRAP problem, Rob arranged an inspection of the meter, and PWD finally confirmed that the water meter was working properly. Now that her water is back on and there are no longer any barriers to the WRAP program, Denise will have affordable access to safe, life-essential, water service for the first time since moving into her home.