Global’s mailing error stemmed from database filtering mistake

A computer database incorrectly filtered is the source behind thousands of letters addressing late payments that were mistakenly sent out to Global Water customers.

Jon Corwin, general manager for the company’s regulated utilities, said Tuesday a spreadsheet containing customer information was not sorted correctly and the vendor in charge of Global Water’s mailing did not catch the mistake.

“We’re addressing internal controls to make sure it doesn’t happen again, so that in the future we don’t see this reoccur,” Corwin said.

The letters were meant to be mailed to about 500 customers. However, even those customers had errors with the number of late payments described in the letter.

“Some people received messages that they had 13 late payments in the last 12 months,” he said. “Well obviously, that’s not possible.”

Apology letters will go out Wednesday to the thousands of Global Water customers who received the letters in error, as well as the 500 people who were supposed to receive the letters.

The letters mistakenly sent out were received by customers in Buckeye and Maricopa. Corwin did not know the exact number of customers who received a letter by mistake.

The letters were addressing a new policy starting Jan. 1 that says if a customer has two or more late payments, the utilities would assess a deposit to that customer’s account – an action allowed by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The ACC is an elected body that regulates utilities companies within the state.