Ohio Attorney General assisting consumers with Cleveland Division of Water complaints

CLEVELAND - Consumer complaints have kept customer service representatives at the Cleveland Division of Water on telephones for hours nearly every business day.

A new phone system and continued training have reduced customer service call wait times from a high of 45 minutes to an average of just 3 to 5 minutes, over the past 12 months.

Water department complaints have also made their way to NewsChannel5, the Better Business Bureau, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine encourages consumers to contact his office with complaints about the Cleveland Division of Water, even though the Attorney General does not have direct jurisdiction or oversight on the quality of the water department's operation.

"I wish we had more jurisdiction," said Dewine. "I wish we had more ability, not only to have the carrot, but a little stick as well."

The Ohio Attorney General's office reports it currently has 31 water department complaints on file, forwarding the complaints to the Cleveland mayor's office or water department customer service representatives.

Consumers can report their complaints to the attorney general by call the hot line at 1-800-282-0515 or by filing their complaints online ( http://5.wews.com/xiE ) and filling-out the online form.

"The water department has been extremely receptive when we call about consumer issues," said DeWine. "I know that the Cleveland mayor is very concerned about this."

Under the Ohio constitution, municipal utilities are exempt from PUCO scrutiny, even though the Cleveland Division of Water serves far more than just Cleveland residents.

Currently, the Cleveland Division of Water provides service to 1.5 million customers, in 70 communities, in five counties.

"I will talk to members of the state legislature about this, to see if we can have more jurisdiction in this area, or some other watchdog," said DeWine.

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This story is the third story in a series of stories newsnet5.com will be producing concerning problems and solutions at the Cleveland Division of Water over the next two weeks. Coming up on Monday morning, how Cleveland City Council’s Public Utilities Committee is actively engaged in resolving the customer relations issues and other associated problems in the Division of Water.