Subject: URGENT LEGAL & MEDIA ESCALATION: ADA Violation, Predatory Billing Trap, and Life-Threatening Water Shutoff (Acct: 08-155915-002)
Chris Barrett
Subject: URGENT LEGAL & MEDIA ESCALATION: ADA Violation, Predatory Billing Trap, and Life-Threatening Water Shutoff (Acct: 08-155915-002)
To the Hillsborough Town Board, Orange County Commissioners, Disability Rights NC, and Triangle Investigative Media:
My name is Christopher Barrett, a disabled resident of Hillsborough, North Carolina. I am writing this communication to formally escalate a life-threatening ADA violation, a severe failure of local utility oversight, and an ongoing pattern of predatory financial practices by the local water company.
Despite possessing formal medical documentation verifying my disability and hardship status, the local water utility is aggressively proceeding with a shutoff of my water services. I spoke directly with a utility representative named Crystal, and it was made abundantly clear that my documented medical hardship is being entirely disregarded. Cutting off a basic survival utility to a disabled resident with documented medical needs is a direct threat to my health, safety, and life.
However, the medical negligence is only half of the issue. This utility operates a predatory billing architecture designed to trap vulnerable and disabled residents in a manufactured cycle of debt. My current past-due balance is $55.12. By forcing a shutoff over this amount, the utility will automatically trigger an extortionate $40.00 "restoration fee"—nearly doubling my bill instantly—while simultaneously stacking on late fees. Furthermore, the billing structure deceptively double-charges residents by tying sewer fees directly to water usage, meaning we are charged for sewage even for water that never goes down the drain. This is not a public service; it is a money game.
When residents escalate these predatory practices, local officials routinely claim that the water company "operates by its own rules" and that the county "cannot intervene." This buck-passing has created a dangerous loophole. Because this is a small-town water company, they are operating as an unchecked monopoly. There is a deeply concerning, systemic culture in Hillsborough that caters to the town's elite while systematically marginalizing its most vulnerable residents, treating them as revenue streams through punitive utility fees.
Operating in a small town does not exempt a utility company from basic human rights standards, ADA compliance, or ethical billing practices. The citizens of Hillsborough are being subjected to systemic abuse by a utility that believes it is above the law.
I am officially demanding the following actions immediately:
An immediate medical stay of execution placed on my account to halt this shutoff while emergency crisis funding is properly routed.
Formal intervention from Disability Rights North Carolina and local officials to enforce ADA protections on behalf of a disabled resident.
An independent media and regulatory investigation into the unchecked shutoff policies, punitive fee structures ($40 restoration fees), and double-charging billing practices of this water company.
I will not allow local bureaucracy to jeopardize my life, nor will I allow this utility to continue running a debt trap on the citizens of this town in the dark. I expect a response today confirming that my water will remain on and that this medical stay has been honored.
I can be reached immediately at 336-270-1384 to resolve this matter today.
Sincerely,
Christopher Barrett
200 Cheshire Dr.
15-C
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Jean Hamilton
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2026 10:53 AM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>; town...@hillsboroughnc.gov <town...@hillsboroughnc.gov>; eric.p...@hillsboroughnc.gov <eric.p...@hillsboroughnc.gov>
Cc: in...@disabilityrightsnc.org <in...@disabilityrightsnc.org>; 5onyo...@wral.com <5onyo...@wral.com>; abc11trou...@abc.com <abc11trou...@abc.com>; ne...@cbs17.com <ne...@cbs17.com>; me...@newsobserver.com <me...@newsobserver.com>
Subject: Subject: URGENT LEGAL & MEDIA ESCALATION: ADA Violation, Predatory Billing Trap, and Life-Threatening Water Shutoff (Acct: 08-155915-002)
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Travis Myren
Chris Barrett,
The Department of Social Services offers a short-term utility assistance program for qualified individuals. The contact person is LaKecia Robbins who can be reach by email at lrob...@orangecountync.gov.
I hope you find this resource helpful.
Travis
Travis Myren
County Manager
Travis Myren
I have also asked the Department to reach out to you directly at the phone number you provided.