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Utility Billing & Collections

Show All Answers

1. What do I have to do to get water service?

To establish a water account, the customer is asked to come to the Utility Collections office at 1300 Seventh Street and make a deposit. Identification is required on new deposits to protect the customer from someone else establishing an account in his/her name. A representative is allowed to establish the account by using their own identification and providing copies of the responsible parties identification.

2. How much is the deposit?

Residential deposits are $75.00 for single-family dwellings. Multi-family dwellings are $50.00 per unit when served by one meter. Minimum business deposits are $100.00 for businesses with low water usage. Other business deposits are calculated based on comparable business use applied to current rates for water, sewer, and refuse.

3. How do you figure the sewer charge?

Residential sewer charges are based on the customer's actual monthly water consumption, or their winter months' average consumption, whichever is less. Sewer averages are calculated each year on water consumption between the December and March readings (January, February, and March billings). Documentation of leaks repaired during the averaging period must be presented by May 31 each year in order to qualify for an adjustment to the new year's average.

4. Do you pay interest on deposits? What happens to the interest?

a. Currently, the City does not pay interest on deposits.

b. The interest drawn by the City on customer deposits is returned into the operating budget of the water/sewer fund to help in providing the lowest possible rates.

5. Why is my bill so high?

1. A leak in the customer's service can cause higher usage.

2. Seasonal increases due to increased usage, such as lawn watering, children's wading pools, additional laundry, and washing automobiles.

3. An error in the current reading or having been previously under-read

4. The meter has been recently uncovered and read.

6. Why is my water cut off? Don't you give notice?

a. This question is most commonly asked when service has been cut off for non-payment; however, an answer cannot be given until a check is made of the customer's account. If the customer is on the cut off list and the service man has reported that the water has been cut off and a $15.00 charge assessed, this information is given to the customer. The customer is told that the bill and the additional $15.00 charge must be paid before service can be

b. Notice of past due accounts are given as a message on the second month's bill. the message states that the bill must be paid by the due date to avoid service interruption. After the due date, a blue pending cut off notice is mailed instructing the customer to pay by 5:00p.m. on the working day preceding cut off action.

7. When do I get my deposit back?

Customer deposits are held as long as the customer's account is active. When the account is closed, the deposit is applied toward payment of the final billing. Any credit balance is refunded to the customer by check from the Accounting/Finance Department. Senior citizens, 65 years of age of age, who maintains their account in good standing, may request a refund of their deposit for their residence. Proof of age is required

8. How can they read my meter when the grass has grown over it?

The meter reader tries to read all meters in his route. The customers can help assure a more accurate reading by keeping the grass trimmed around his meter and by not placing rubbish, garbage cans, or vehicles over the meter box.

9. How can they read my meter when it's full of water?

If the water in the meter box is clear, it is possible to get an accurate reading. The reader notes on his reading forms any meters that he could not read because of water, and at the end of his route, he then returns to all the "water" meters and dips them out to get a reading. In cases of large meter boxes that cannot be dipped, a note of flooded is placed on the reading form. This causes a reread to be produced through the high-low, so that a service worker can be sent out to pump out the meter box and get a reading.

10. How can they read my meter when the hands are missing?

Most meters used by the city have odometer type readouts. Customers are billed in hundreds of cubic feet so not all dials are used in calculating the bill. The last two digits on the right are dropped when entering the reading for billing, i.e. 6 4 7 4 1 3 is read as 6474.

11. What do I have to do to get my meter fixed?

All meter repairs for leaking meters, non-functioning meter, covered meters, and other major meter problems are performed by the Water Maintenance Department. Customers with these types of problems are referred to that department (761-4333). Reports of missing meter box lids are immediately dispatched to the Service Worker. Priority is given to turn-ons, turn-offs, and other routine activities.

12. Is there a charge for transfer of service?

There is no charge for transfer of service; however, a transfer bill is produced. The transfer bill covers charges for water used at the old address from the last regular date until the turn off date. This bill will also show any outstanding bill as a past due amount.

13. When do you send out bills?

The city is divided into twenty-three districts (cycles) with one cycle read each working day and billed within forty-eight hour excluding holidays and weekends. The bills are produced once each month for a cycle, giving the customer twelve bills per year. To determine the approximate billing date, we must know the exact address to determine which cycle the customer account is in and then check the monthly billing schedule.

14. How can I have a past due amount on my bill when I paid last month?

This question is commonly asked when service has been interrupted for non-payment or if the customer has received a bill showing a past due balance. Each case must be checked individually to determine the proper response.