NEW HANOVER COUNTY — A CFPUA customer who previously sparred with the board over allegations of “outrageous” overcharges for water is now asking the utility to allow him to disconnect his water service and switch over to his private well.
During CFPUA’s Wednesday board meeting, CFPUA customer James Kadner spoke during the public comment period, telling board members he had been requesting permission to disconnect from CFPUA’s water service.
“I have requested from this board for many months now… in regards to disconnecting from the Cape Fear Public Utility supply and connecting over to my own personal well,” Kander said.
Kander said he felt there had been “no reasonable response from the board” despite his having provided letters from doctors, including a former head toxicologist for the state’s health and human services department.
“I have supplied letters from doctors … all of them stating it is there professional medical opinion that continued consumption, bathing, exposure and even inhalation from the supplied water from CFPUA would be detrimental to my health,” Kadner said.
Kadner’s concern over GenX is shared by many residents, although state officials have noted that it may take many years, even decades, to get concrete toxicological data on GenX and other related chemicals.
A spokeswoman for CFPUA said the utility would work with Kadner’s attorney on a solution. CFPUA also notes that its mandatory connection policy requires a sewer connection when a sewer main is within 500 feet.
Earlier this year, Kadner spoke to the board about what he believed were unjust charges for high water usage — ending in a heated exchange with board member and Wilmington City Councilman Charlie Rivenbark.
On January 10, 2018, Kadner addressed the board, saying over a 17-month period he had repeatedly received “excessive bills,” ranging from 20,000 gallons per bill to a $1,100 bill for 250,000 gallons of water usage in August of 2017.
Kadner began his address by noting his attorney had advised him not to speak to the board, adding that his level of “infuriation” with the board had become intense.
Kadner noted that once CFPUA replaced his digital meter with a mechanical one, his bills dropped to showing around 9,000 gallons per bill. Kadner expressed frustration that CFPUA had told him a leak on his side of the meter was to blame.
“Every time we call it’s our fault, it’s a leak — there’s never ever been a time when it’s been the fault of CFPUA. Not once,” Kadner said.
Chairman Mike Brown allowed Kadner to go over the four-minute mark by several minutes, but ultimately asked him to conclude his remarks — which Kadner did by comparing CFPUA to the “Cosa Nostra.” This provoked Rivenbark to defend CFPUA’s work and ask Kadner to retract his comment. Rivenbark then suggested Kadner, who moved to the area from New York, “go back to where the mafia controls everything.”
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