Western Union/Quick Collect
Customers can pay their WSSC bills by bringing CASH payments
to a Western Union office of their choice. The payment will be posted to the
WSSC account within one hour of Western Union receiving it, if paid before
4:30 p.m. Payments received after 4:30 p.m. may not be posted to your account
until the next business day. There is a fee associated with using Western
Union/Quick Collect to pay your water bill.
You will need to bring your payment and WSSC account number to one of the
Western Union offices located throughout Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
For a fee, you’ll have guaranteed, same-day crediting of your payment via
“Quick Collect.” CASH transactions cost $12.95.
How to Use the Quick Collect payment option:
- Customer Care agents can provide a convenient Western Union location near you
if you are making a CASH payment, or you can call Western Union at 1-800-325-6000
to find the nearest location.
- With your CASH payment, go to the Western Union office nearest you.
You must have your WSSC account number to use Western Union's
services to pay WSSC charges.
- Complete the BLUE and WHITE form at the Western Union office. Use the CITY CODE
- "WSSC" and the State "MD." Include your WSSC account number in the appropriate place.
- Please verify that WSSC has received the "Quick Collect" payment by calling our
Customer Care agents at (301) 206-4001 or 1-800-634-8400. If your service has been
disconnected, you can also schedule your reconnection during this phone conversation.
WSSC must receive a written "release of liability"
prior to the reconnection of service. If your payment is posted to your account,
the release of liability is received by WSSC, and the service reconnection is
scheduled prior to 5 p.m., WSSC will do everything possible to reinstate services
the same day.
Installments
Payment arrangements can ONLY be made on the current bill. All past
due bills must be paid in full before an installment plan can be
initiated. A payment arrangement allows you to make weekly, biweekly,
or monthly payments and ensures that the service remains uninterrupted.
A 5% late fee is assessed to the balance remaining on the account after
the due date printed on your bill. Please call our Customer Care agents if you want to make
arrangements to pay your current bill in installments.
If you have questions about payment options, our Customer Care agents
can assist you by calling (301) 206-4001 or 1-800-634-8400,
from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For quicker
response, it is better to call us Wednesday through Friday.
4. How do you determine how much water and sewer service I've used and how much to
charge me?
Your bills are based on the amount of water that passed through your
meter since the last billing period. Sewer is not metered; instead, we
base the amount charged for sewer on the amount of water delivered to your
home. WSSC’s rate structure is designed to encourage and reward water
conservation. The rate is based
on a sliding scale per 1,000 gallons of water used. Customers who use more
water are charged at higher rates, and those who use less water are
charged at lower rates. WSSC is by no means alone in having a
conservation-based rate structure. In fact, about half of the water and
sewer utilities in the Northeastern United States now use a rate structure
that promotes conservation. Our rate structure, which was implemented on
January 1, 1978, was largely the result of the recommendations of a
citizen’s task force.
The water/sewer rate on your bill depends upon the amount of water you
use and what we call your Average Daily Consumption or ADC. To
calculate your ADC, divide the total gallons used by the number of days in
the billing period. According to studies, an individual in our service
area typically uses about 70 gallons of water every day. If the amount of water you've used in a quarter varies
dramatically from how much you used last year during the same season,
we'll alert you in the message portion of your bill by including an ADC
comparison between the current and past year's usage.
Household Water Usage Chart
You'll also notice that we charge more for sewer because wastewater
treatment is more expensive and complicated than water filtration. Each
bill also includes an item labeled Account Maintenance Fee.
During our budget-approval process, Montgomery and
Prince George’s County councils approve the rates. Public hearings on
our proposed budgets are held each year before February 15, and any
changes take effect on July 1. If you want more information about the
hearing process or the public hearing schedule and locations, please
contact the Public Communications Office at (301) 206–8100.
5. Why did I receive an estimated bill?
- An estimated bill is automatically generated by our computerized
billing system when circumstances such as: inclement weather;
inaccessible or obstructed equipment, locked gates, or no one at home
(to name a few reasons) prohibit our field employees from obtaining an
actual meter reading. We also estimate usage when there are questionable
changes in current consumption compared to historical usage.
- A residential customer's usage is estimated based on the household’s
previous usage for the comparable period. When there is a new
owner/occupant at the property, the estimated bill is based on a preset
Average Daily Consumption (ADC) of 245.
- Commercial customers' bills are estimated based on the previous
occupants' Average Daily Consumption (ADC).
If we are unable to obtain an actual meter reading, the field service
representative will leave a card at the property requesting that you
supply us with an actual reading from the inside meter and visual remote reader (located
on an outside wall of the property) as soon as possible. Both the inside
meter and visual remote readings contain 7-digits and should be read left
to right, including any stationary zeros painted on the face of the
registration unit. (Customers cannot read electronic remotes.)
If you prefer, you can provide a reading to WSSC by using your touch-tone telephone
keypad to enter the reading/reading date in our Interactive Voice Response
System (IVRS) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
6. How can I give you my meter reading without speaking to an
agent?
If you read your inside water meter, please call
(301) 206-4001 or
1-800-634-8400 to access our IVRS (Interactive Voice Response
System) to enter your 7-digit meter reading. You must have your
account number available to enter the information in the system. IVRS is a
computerized system that gives you vital information about WSSC and your
account 24 hours a day. You can:
Check Bill and Payment Information
(Press 1) **
Request a Seven-Day Payment Extension (Press 2) **
Enter a Meter Reading (Press 3) **
Obtain Directions and Office Hours (Press 4)
Obtain Final Bill Options (Press 5)
Repeat the Menu Options (Press 8)
** To use options 1-3, you will need your WSSC account number.
** You can access the IVRS, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by
using a touch-tone telephone.
** If you cannot locate the metering equipment or provide WSSC a
reading, please call us to schedule an appointment for WSSC personnel to
read your meter.
7. I just moved into/out of a house or apartment. What do I have to
do?
Please contact WSSC at (301) 206-4001 or 1-800-634-8400 with the following information:
- The name and address of the settlement attorney/title company or the person
receiving the final bill and the name of the new owner or occupant.
- The settlement date or the date you move in or out of
the property, we will need the inside 7-digit meter reading. Some properties
are equipped with visual remote readers
that are affixed to the outside structure of the building. Customers cannot read electronic remote devices.
- We will also need a 7-digit reading from the visual remote to ensure that the meter equipment is
functioning properly. Both devices should be read left to right including any stationary
zeros painted on the face of the registration unit.
- If your property is equipped with an outside meter, or you are
unable to read your inside meter/remote reading device, please call us at
(301) 206-4001 or 1-800-634-8400 in advance of your settlement or move-in date
to schedule an appointment for WSSC personnel to read your equipment.
8. What is the Account Maintenance Fee?
WSSC is a non-profit, public utility whose rates are set to produce
only the revenues needed to support services and operations. The quarterly
Account Maintenance Fee
defrays the expenses associated with maintaining each account. These
include the costs of purchasing meters; processing readings; generating,
mailing, and collecting bills; and providing customer services. These
expenses are similar for all customers no matter how much water they
use.
A separately charged Account Maintenance Fee was the result of a study directed
by the Prince George's and Montgomery County Councils in 1991. The study
showed that customers who used extremely small amounts of water every
quarter were paying nothing at all for account maintenance services. Since
it was unfair for larger water users to subsidize services that were
available to all customers, the fee was separated from the rate structure
in 1992.
9. I water my garden and lawn in the summer. How will this affect my bills and
what are my options?
If you water outside during the summer, be prepared for a higher than
normal Average Daily Consumption (ADC) and bill charges. Since water used outside the home/business
does not return to the public sewer system as wastewater, we can credit
the sewer portion of your bill for this water if you have a sub-meter. A sub-meter
separately records water used outside your home that
does not return to the sewer system for processing. With a sub-meter, your
sewer usage would be based on only the water used inside your
home/business. Generally, WSSC sub-meter fees for residential customers
fluctuate, but may be as low as $235. These fees are in
addition to a licensed plumber's installation fee and possible Systems Development
Charges (SDC). For more information on
sub-meters, please call (301) 206-4003 or 1-800-634-8400.
Alternatively, WSSC leases fire hydrant meters on a temporary
basis to individuals and businesses. Using a fire hydrant
allows water to be drawn from the public water system when
the water does not return to the public sewer system. There
are no sewer charges associated with the water that registers
on fire hydrant meters. Some examples of use are: filling
swimming pools, landscaping, washing streets or filling tanker
trucks. For more information about fire hydrant meters,
please call (301) 206-4264 from 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
10. What if my bill is really high, but I haven't watered
outside?
A bill that is higher than expected, but not due to outside watering,
may indicate leaking toilets or pipes. In fact, one leaking toilet can lose as many as
three to five gallons each minute, often silently! The three most common
toilet leaks are: flapper, siphon tube, and overflow leaks. Luckily, it is easy to
test your toilets for leaks. Just put some colored liquid such as dark
food coloring into the top of your toilet tank, wait at least 20 minutes,
and then check the toilet bowl. If the color has seeped into the bowl, you
have a toilet leak. In that case, using the turn off valve, you should
turn off the toilet until it is repaired. If you are a residential
customer and you find that a toilet leak has resulted in a high bill (and
there has never been a high bill or toilet leak adjustment while at your
current address) please contact us at (301) 206–4001 or
1-800-634-8400. We will review your account for a reduction in
charges based upon our “one-time/one bill” high bill policy.
(See also Household
Water Usage Chart)
We also offer property inspections to help you
determine whether a plumbing fixture is leaking. Click here for current
inspection fee. To schedule an inspection, call (301) 206-4001 or 1-800-634-8400. However, WSSC DOES NOT
REPAIR PLUMBING FIXTURES OR FIX LEAKS. There is also a "Missed
Appointment Fee" that is billed to the account if we schedule an
appointment and no one is at the property when WSSC field representatives
arrive. Property inspections are a popular service and schedules fill quickly. If you strongly suspect a leak, we encourage you to contact a plumber. A delay
in investigating the reasons for increased consumption at a property can
result in a future high bill.
11. What if I can't afford to pay my bill all at once?
WSSC has several ways to assist you if you are unable to pay your
entire current bill prior to the due date indicated on the face of the
water/sewer bill.
Hold:
Using the IVRS, you can place a
seven-day extension on the current bill from the date the request is
entered into the IVRS system. The request for an extension of the bill's
due date must be entered into IVRS PRIOR TO THE DISCONNECTION DATE.
Payment Arrangement:
If your current bill is unusually high, or
if you are having difficulty paying a normal bill due to extenuating
circumstances, payment arrangements can be initiated on the current
bill. All past due bills must be paid in full before an installment
plan can be implemented. This arrangement allows you to make weekly,
biweekly, or monthly payments and ensures that the service remains
uninterrupted. A 5% late fee is assessed to the unpaid balance
remaining on the account after the due date printed on the bill. If
you want to initiate a payment arrangement, please call us at (301) 206-4001 or 1-800-634-8400, weekdays, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30
p.m. Your first payment must be posted to your account within seven
days of the call. (Also see Payment Options)
12. What do I do if I have a billing problem?
Call us at (301) 206–4001 or
1-800-634-8400 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. We
will review the account thoroughly to determine whether the charges
qualify for a reduction according to WSSC’s policies and guidelines. Under
some circumstances, we can adjust a bill that is high due to a leak. If,
after our review, you are unhappy with the result, you may appeal your
case to the "Dispute Resolving Board" if the bill is unpaid. If you
have paid the disputed charges, you can request a "refund hearing".
13. What is the Dispute Resolving Board?
14. What are refund hearings?
15. How can I automatically access my account information?
The Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) is available 24-hours a day, every day of the year. When you call
(301) 206–4001 or 1-800-634-8400 and
have a touch-tone telephone, you can select to use IVRS. You can select from among the following choices by pressing the
corresponding number on your phone:
Check Bill and Payment Information (Press 1) **
Request a Seven-Day Payment Extension (Press 2) **
Enter a Meter Reading (Press 3) **
Obtain Directions and Office Hours (Press 4)
Obtain Final Bill Options (Press 5)
Repeat the Menu Options (Press 8)
** To use options 1-3, you will need your WSSC account number.
Checking Bill and Payment Information - This option provides you with your account
balance, the bill due date, the last payment amount and the date received,
any delinquent amount, and the period of your last bill. You can also have
your last bill mailed to you, or a statement of charges faxed to you.
Requesting a Seven – Day Payment Extension - If you anticipate a
problem paying a bill by the due date printed on the face of your bill,
and you have a good payment record with WSSC, use this option to give
yourself seven more days to pay your water/sewer bill.
Obtaining Driving Directions and Hours of Operation – please press
option #4
You can repeat the menu options by pressing #8.
Entering a Meter
Reading
Final Bill
Instructions
If you prefer to speak to a Customer Care Agent during this process,
7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., weekdays, please enter “0” followed by the # key.
Your call will be automatically transferred to the next available
agent.
16. How do I check my toilets and plumbing for leaks?
17. How much water does a household use on average?
18. If I have no water in my home, what do I do?
Prior to calling WSSC, please check the main shut off valve in your residence/business to ensure that it has not been accidentally turned off.
WSSC does everything possible not to disconnect our customers' services:
- Residential customers have over eight weeks (approximately 57 days) to pay their quarterly WSSC bills or initiate a payment arrangement.
- In most cases, cash, credit or debit cards, money orders, Western Union, and direct debit payments are accepted.
- Within WSSC policy guidelines, charges for excessive consumption can sometimes be reduced.
- WSSC mails written notice to the property that services are available for disconnection. The notice gives the customer 10 additional days to pay the overdue charges, or contact our Customer Care Agents at (301) 206-4001, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays, to arrange for payment.
However, even with all our efforts to ensure our customer's
services are not interrupted, sometimes we have no choice.
Ultimately, our water/sewer rates can only be maintained if all
the water/sewer services our customers use are paid.
If your water is disconnected and your bills
are paid in full, immediately call our Customer Care Agents
at (301) 206-4001, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays. Alternatively,
please contact our Emergency Services Agents at (301) 206-4002
anytime of the day or night, 365 days per year. Our Agents will
review your account information and schedule the reconnection of
services. A "release of liability"
(ROL) must be signed and provided to our field representatives or
faxed to WSSC prior to the reconnection. If you plan to fax the
ROL prior to reconnection, your agent will advise you of the
appropriate fax number to use.
If you discover the interruption is due to a past due bill, please:
- Immediately call our Customer Care Agents at (301) 206-4001, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays.
- Prior to reconnection, all past due balances must be paid in
full:
- In person at the Richard Hocevar Building,
One-Stop-Shop, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., 14501 Sweitzer Lane,
Laurel, Maryland.
- MasterCard, Visa or Discover credit card
- Western Union Quick Collect
- Once the past due balance is paid, a payment arrangement can
be initiated for non-delinquent charges on the current bill.
- A disconnection/reconnection fee should be paid prior
to reconnection
- A "release of liability" (ROL)
must be signed and provided to our field representatives or
faxed to WSSC prior to the reconnection. If you plan to fax
the ROL prior to reconnection, your agent will advise you of
the appropriate fax number to use.
When services are disconnected for non-payment, the disconnection and reconnection fees are collected at the time the delinquent balance is paid.
Prior to the reconnection of services, to prevent flooding or other water damage please make certain that the main shut off valve at your property is turned off. If the main shut off valve does not hold or cannot be located, ensure that all faucets and toilet valves are turned off.
19. Is there a fee for dishonored checks, unsatisfied electronic debits,
and credit charge backs?
Yes, click here for the current fee amount. WSSC will add this fee to your
water/sewer account if a check is not honored, your bank does not
satisfy an electronic debit, or a credit card payment is not
properly authorized. Furthermore, "cash only" status will be
assigned to the account for six months. During that period, all
payments for services must be made by certified or bank check,
credit or debit card,
Western
Union Quick Collect payment,
or money order. Written notification that a payment has not been
satisfied and that the account has been placed in "cash only"
status will be mailed to the service address.
20. If I believe my water meter is not accurate, how do I get the meter
tested?
.