Billing Policy & Procedures

BILLING. Quarterly bills are mailed each January, April, July, and October. All accounts are established in the property owner’s name and are billed to the property owner.  The Town does not mail utility bills or notices to tenants of rental properties.

 

All users of the Town’s water supply system, including owners of unoccupied dwellings, shall be billed the quarterly minimum rates for water and/or sewer.  Owners of all established residential units, including unoccupied dwellings, shall be billed the quarterly fee for sanitation collection.

 

The Mayor & Council will establish reasonable rates and charges for water and sewer services and systems upkeep.  The Town Manager is charged with the administration of the provisions of these policies, relating to billing and payment, and may establish rules and regulations as needed to implement those provisions.

 

Water and sewer charges consist of the following:

 

1)      Water and sewer fixed fees are based on the meter size, customer attributes, or the number of plumbing fixtures.  For residential properties, one household will be charged a water fixed fee and a sewer fixed fee.  For multifamily residential properties sharing a single water meter, a fixed fee will be applied to each household residing at the service location.  Fixed water and sewer fixed fees for commercial properties will be assessed by meter size, by fixture unit analysis, or by consultation with the Town’s consulting engineer.

2)      A usage charge is based on the amount of water passing through the meter during the period between the last two (2) readings, generally known as a "metered gallonage" rate.  For multifamily residential properties, the "metered gallonage" portion of a water rent will be calculated by multiplying the maximum number of gallons in each tier by the number of households residing at the service location, to determine the maximum number of gallons that will be charged at that tier rate.

 

Payments are due in full within thirty (30) days of the billing date and payable to the “The Town of Boonsboro.”  Personal checks cannot be post-dated, and are not held for a future deposit date.

After thirty (30) days, an interest penalty charge of 5% (five per cent) will be added to the overdue bill and a late notice will be mailed.  After sixty (60) days, a disconnection notice - including the deadline for payment and the date and time of the disconnection of water services – will be mailed. (Disconnection notices are the final notification for payment mailed to

property owners prior to disconnection of services.)

 

If services are disconnected, a reconnection fee of $100.00* will be added to the overdue bill; the reconnection fee must be paid in full prior to reconnection of services.

 

DISCONNECTION POLICY. On the day of disconnection, a notice that service has been terminated will be left on the premises or will be presented to the property owner, if present. A payment made after disconnection must be paid in cash or money order to the Town Clerk in the Town Hall, 21 N. Main Street.  Public Works personnel are not permitted to accept

any form of payment.

 

RETURNED CHECKS. An additional $25.00 fee will be added to the utility bill for a check returned for any reason. If payment is received by check on the day of or just prior to disconnection and the check is later returned for insufficient funds, services will be terminated immediately.

 

PAYMENT PLANS: A property owner may arrange for a payment plan by contacting the Town Clerk immediately after a quarterly utility bill is received by the property owner. Payment Plans are based on the bill being paid in full prior to the issuance of the next quarterly utility bill.  If a leak has occurred on the property which results in the quarterly bill at least doubling the average of the last for quarters, payment arrangements may be made to pay the overage over a six-month period. The second quarterly bill that is distributed during the payment plan period must be paid in full by its due date.

 

METER READING. A property owner, whose water meter cannot be accessed by a meter reader, due to weeds or other impediments, will be in violation of the Town’s Property Maintenance Code and subject to a fine of $100 each day the violation remains.

 

Effective June 1, 2009

*Revised: April 2013

REVISED: January 2015, July 2022, & August 2022    

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