Collections Information

Watertown Municipal Utilities shall fairly and without discrimination administer a policy for payment of utility services. The following shall be the guidelines used:

Any delinquent account must be paid before a customer is reconnected at a new location. This policy shall apply to all customers both residential and commercial.

Bills not paid by the 10th of the month shall be assessed a 5% Late Penalty Charge.

Approximately fifteen (15) days after receipt of utility bill, a disconnect notice will be sent. Notice sent will read as follows:

1. Our records indicate payment for your utility account has not been received. The amount of the bill plus a late payment charge is shown above. To save time and assure proper credit, please send or bring the top portion of this statement with your remittance. This is the final request for payment. If your bill remains unpaid as of 8:00 AM on the above disconnect date, you will be charged a delinquent service fee, and your service will be disconnected on that date. (Date to be approximately the 28th of current month).
2. A Delinquent Service Fee shall be charged to any account that remains unpaid as of 8:00 AM on the disconnect date.
3. After an account has been disconnected for at least two business days with no payment, it is closed out. A final bill amount notice is then sent to the last known address for one month.
4. If the account is not paid, then two monthly notices are sent advising that it will be turned over to a collection agency if not paid in full.

After the above notices, unpaid accounts are handled as follows:

1. If the customer can be located, the customer may be taken to small claims court regardless of the amount owed. If the customer cannot be located, the account will be turned over to collections.
2. Accounts over $2,000.00 are referred to an attorney representing Watertown Municipal Utilities for collections.