Customer Service/ Water Billing

Supervisor: Nancy Massey (nmassey@texas-city-tx.org )

If payment on a water account is made with an insufficient check or bank draft, this said check/bank draft will be run through twice by the City's Clearing House prior to returning to the Finance Department for distribution to proper City department.

Upon receipt of said NSF check/bank draft for a water account, Customer Service investigates and locates appropriate water account:

Charge customer Returned Check/Bank Draft service charge $25 per check/bank draft.
If more than three NSF occurred on said water account, a /C is placed on the account to denote “no more checks/bank drafts to be accepted”. In addition a letter reflecting the same is handed to the customer for their signature as proof of receipt and copied for the customer. The original is filed.
If a check/bank draft is accepted as payment after “no longer accepting checks / bank drafts” letter has been signed by the customer and the check/bank draft becomes a NSF issue, a disconnection of service will be issued and followed.
A door hanger or phone call to customer to note to handle NSF in our office.
Only cash or money order will be accepted as payment.
If payment not made by the third day of notice, a disconnection service order will be issued and additional reconnection charge of $25 will be added for payment.

Each month your water meter is read for billing purposes. Your meter is the lowest drain in your yard. It will be dirty. The City reads the glass register inside the meter box. To read the meter, it is read from left to right, just like an odometer in your vehicle. The City bills in the thousands, therefore the last three numbers are not part of the billed reading.

For example: the reading 0 0 8 9 6 2 6 0
The billed reading is 896.

The last three digits are as follows:
2 = hundreds
6 = tenths
0 = type of meter reading/thousands from the manufacturer – fixed number

© 2004 City of Texas City -- An All-America City. All Rights Reserved.
1801 9th Avenue North | P.O. Box 2608 | Texas City, Texas 77592-2608 | (409) 948-3111
Please direct any comments and suggestions to webmaster.
Last updated: February 26, 2007

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Customer Service/Water Billing
Supervisor: Nancy Massey (nmassey@texas-city-tx.org )
Location: City Hall 1801 9th Avenue North Texas City, TX 77590 Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (excluding city holidays and weekends) Phone: (409) 643-5923

Transfer and New Accounts \| Final Accounts \| Bank Draft \| Cut-Off \| NSF \| How to Read a Water Meter \| FAQs

Transfer and New Accounts
New and transfer water accounts for the City of Texas City are required to have the following: Rental/Contract Agreement (between lessee and leaser/owner/property management company) (if one is not available, a written agreement between the legal owner and renter(s) indicating date of move in/out, location, owner's name(s), renter name(s) and telephone number of owner/landlord. Closing Papers – from owner of property (Settlement page, can use Ernest Money Contract – if closing date is within a week of water service application date.) or check CAD internet location for owner's verification. Copy of the current driver's license. (new accounts only) Meter deposit (new accounts only – call the office for a deposit quote). Contract for Service (new accounts only - complete in our office). If the applicant or renters/leases have outstanding water account balances, these amounts must be paid in full prior to any water service to begin or transfer to new location. Transfer fee assessed to the first bill - $25 (transfer accounts only) Back to top
Final Accounts
Water accounts can be finaled or closed for the following reasons, but limited to: By customer request: verified with a personal identifier. Non-payment on water account five days after water service has been disconnected. NSF check / bank draft: On the fourth day after door hanger/notice to pay check/bank draft plus charges. Death of customer – verification with death certificate Back to top
Bank Draft
At this time, the City of Texas City does not accept credit/debit cards or online payments. To bank draft your water account, complete the bank draft form and attached a “voided” check. Bank draft your water account from your checking account every month on the Due Date. To avoid late charges and possible service disconnection due late payments, bank draft your water account. Online payments are mailed to the City usually by a third party. Many times these payments are received later than your online payment date and the due date. Back to top
Cut-Off
Water service can be disconnected for the following issues, but not limited to: No payment on water account after the disconnect date noted on the reminder notice. Vacant location showing consumption of water. No payment on a NSF check/bank draft after three days notice from a door hanger. NSF check on a deposit for a water account. Missed payment on a payment plan. In receipt of a NSF check/bank draft after customer's signature on “no longer accepting checks/bank drafts on the water account” letter Theft of water from either City or another's customer's connection. Reconnection service charge = $25 per account. For water resumption, all past due amounts including service charges must be paid in cash or money order. Back to top
NSF
If payment on a water account is made with an insufficient check or bank draft, this said check/bank draft will be run through twice by the City's Clearing House prior to returning to the Finance Department for distribution to proper City department. Upon receipt of said NSF check/bank draft for a water account, Customer Service investigates and locates appropriate water account: Charge customer Returned Check/Bank Draft service charge $25 per check/bank draft. If more than three NSF occurred on said water account, a /C is placed on the account to denote “no more checks/bank drafts to be accepted”. In addition a letter reflecting the same is handed to the customer for their signature as proof of receipt and copied for the customer. The original is filed. If a check/bank draft is accepted as payment after “no longer accepting checks / bank drafts” letter has been signed by the customer and the check/bank draft becomes a NSF issue, a disconnection of service will be issued and followed. A door hanger or phone call to customer to note to handle NSF in our office. Only cash or money order will be accepted as payment. If payment not made by the third day of notice, a disconnection service order will be issued and additional reconnection charge of $25 will be added for payment. Back to top
How to Read a Water Meter
Each month your water meter is read for billing purposes. Your meter is the lowest drain in your yard. It will be dirty. The City reads the glass register inside the meter box. To read the meter, it is read from left to right, just like an odometer in your vehicle. The City bills in the thousands, therefore the last three numbers are not part of the billed reading. For example: the reading 0 0 8 9 6 2 6 0 The billed reading is 896. The last three digits are as follows: 2 = hundreds 6 = tenths 0 = type of meter reading/thousands from the manufacturer – fixed number Back to top
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• How can we use that much water? Upon receiving your water bill write down the date you received it and read your meter. (see “How to read your meter?”) The difference between the time the City read it and the date you received it in the mail is approximately two weeks. The read dates and readings are on the left side of the bill. After reading your meter, calculate the difference. If the current reading on the bill is higher than the reading you just read. Call our office. • How can they read the meter is so dirty? Since the meter is the lowest part in your yard it acts like a drain. Therefore, any moisture (rain, car wash, watering the yard) will create mud in the meter box. But, each month the meter reader wipes only the glass register to take the billing reading. • Upon a divorce, can I transfer the water bill into my name? Only if the divorce decree denotes the ownership of said utility deposits to the individual can the water bill transferred into that name without a new deposit. • Upon death of spouse, can I transfer the water bill into my name? Yes, with a copy of the death certificate the water bill can be transferred to the surviving spouse without a new deposit. • Can the water bill be transferred out of my parent's name into my name without a new deposit? No. A new deposit, legal document(s) showing proof of ownership of said property and payment of any outstanding balance on the estate must be paid prior to start of water service. • How is my water bill determined? From the difference between previous and current readings, the water usage is determined in the thousands. Water cost is $2.80 per thousand after the first 2,000 gallons. The first 2,000 gallons is included in the base cost. Residential meters are 5/8” x 3/4” and their base cost is $6.75. Example: Previous reading 345 Current readings 350 Difference in readings equals 5 = 5,000 gallons of usage. Base cost $6.75 (5,000 – 2,000 gallons) + 8.40 (3 x $2.80) = Water $15.15 Sewer Cost is $2.55 per thousand gallons of usage plus $0.60 per sewer unit. An older home usually has 1 bath and kitchen sink = 6 sewer units x .60 = $3.60. Sewer cost = 5 x $2.55 = $12.75 + $3.60 = $16.35. Water cost = $15.15 Sewer cost = $16.35 • How can my sewer cost be higher than my water cost? Sewer cost is based upon the number of sewer units in your home and the amount of water in the thousands pulled through the meter into your home. A sewer unit is one single drain. The total number of sewer units is provided to the water billing department from the Inspection Department upon time of building permit. Each unit is $0.60. Therefore the cost of the sewer per thousand is $2.55 and each drain at $0.60 becomes a higher cost than the water cost. • How can my water bill be the same amount each month? Since the City only bills in the thousands, it's not uncommon to have the same bill during the year. You may use 3,590 gallons of water, but the City will only bill 3,000 gallons of usage. Therefore, if you use 3,999 or 3,001 gallons of water, you are only billed 3,000 gallons of usage. • If my water is shut off, and I know I paid my bill, what can I do? Please contact the Customer Service to check on your account. If the disconnect was not generated from this office, it is possible there is a water leak in your area. Please contact the Utilities office at (409) 643-5860 or after hours, weekends and holidays at (409) 643-5959 to verify possible leak. • What do I do when I'm experiencing a slow sewer drain, sewer back up or see a water main break or leak? Please contact the Utilities office at (409) 643-5860 or after hours, weekends and holidays at (409) 643-5959 to verify possible leak. Back to top

© 2004 City of Texas City -- An All-America City. All Rights Reserved. 1801 9th Avenue North \| P.O. Box 2608 \| Texas City, Texas 77592-2608 \| (409) 948-3111 Please direct any comments and suggestions to webmaster. Last updated: February 26, 2007

Customer Service/Water Billing