The water bill displays the tax due to the city based on the gallons used by each household. Also, it shows taxes collected for stormwater, sewage water, and the Chesapeake Bay.
DPW provides safe drinking water to 1.8 million residential and business consumers, making the City of Baltimore the major water supplier for the Baltimore region. In addition to Baltimore City, DPW supplies water to the surrounding counties: Baltimore, Howard, Harford, Carroll, and Anne Arundel.
Understanding Your Water Bill
Click Here to Understand Baltimore City the Monthly Water Bill
The information below explains how to understand your current water bill and explains the process for inquiring about water, sewer, and stormwater accounts, with the intent of resolving customer issues as quickly and fairly as possible.
Common Causes of Higher Than Usual Bills
Over the course of your service period, your water usage may be higher than usual or expected, which may lead to a higher bill. We understand the burden this places on a household budget and our customers are sensitive to changes in their monthly bills.
To help you understand your bill amount, please check the following:
- Your service period. This is the period of time from your last meter read to your current meter read. If your bill is for a different period of time than the standard 30 days, this may lead to a higher or lower bill.
- Your usage. Your water bill is calculated in CCF Units. This represents 100 Cubic Feet of water or 748 gallons. The average amount of water used by an individual per month is approximately 3 CCF. This amount may vary for your particular household. Common causes for increased consumption can include people coming to visit and warmer weather activities (washing cars, watering the lawn, watering plants, etc.).
- Your Infrastructure Fee and meter size. Your monthly infrastructure fee is based on meter size. The homebuilder, not DPW, determines the size of the meter. DPW offers assistance programs to qualified individuals to help them manage their bills, including ways to seek a meter size reduction.
- The type of reading. Occasionally, there may be situations that prevent the sending of an actual read, such as a street relining project that requires meters to be pulled, or an obstruction at the meter or communicating device. When this occurs, an estimated read may be billed to an account. However, once we can collect the actual read, the amount you have been billed will be corrected if necessary, and we will apply for any credits due to the account.
- Possible leaks. A leak on the customer’s side of the water meter can result in high bills. There are many sources within your home that can lead to increased consumption. Routine maintenance and review of your most water-consuming appliances must be done. This can be as simple as ensuring your toilet is running as efficiently as possible, to ensuring that you fix a leaky faucet or a steady drip coming from your washing machine line. Identifying and correcting sources of high water usage is an excellent way to reduce your water bill. Underground leaks between the meter and your home can go undetected and be difficult to identify but can drastically increase consumption. The Customer Service and Support Division can assist with identifying these leaks by performing a turn-off test, as explained in the section below.
If you have reviewed your bill and still have questions about the amount due or the usage being charged, please do not hesitate to contact us at 410-396-5398 or via email by clicking here. You can also visit our walk-in center at the Abel Wolman Municipal Building at 200 Holliday St., Room 7.
What you can expect from us
- DPW will review your account, including your typical water usage, your meter information, your previous bills, and any notes from earlier calls to our agents.
- Since DPW meters are read remotely, we will communicate with your meter to ensure that we are receiving a signal and response. We will analyze your typical hourly and daily meter reads across different periods to help determine what your next billing cycle may look like and whether there is an indication that you have an outstanding issue at your property.
- When there is suspicion of an exterior or underground leak, a turn-off test may be requested. In this test, the customer is asked to shut off the main valve to their house and our staff will observe whether the meter is still registering usage. If it is, it may be evidence of an underground leak at your property.
- Occasionally we may need to send a field investigator. Our experienced technicians will look at your meter, meter vault, and the surrounding area to analyze what may be the source of the high usage. NOTE: DPW’s field investigators only review your meter and the area of City responsibility, as there is a difference between the Homeowner’s versus City’s responsibility. A leak can be present on the resident side which can impact your bill.
- While having a high bill is never a pleasant experience, we hope to reassure our residents that each inquiry is taken seriously.
Helpful information
Meters: Homeowners are only billed for the water that passes through their meter. Other activities that may have taken place in the area surrounding such as maintenance of our water lines, or construction or repair of water or sewer mains do not cause your water usage to increase. Leaks and standing water issues such as a running toilet are far more common and should be the focus.
Leaks: Not all increased usage is a broken pipe. A dripping faucet can cause a situational elevated use of water and yet, would not usually be identified by a plumber. You can find out how much water a dripping faucet wastes by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Drip Calculator.
Consumption: Average consumption can vary drastically from household to household. You can find out how much water your household uses by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Consumption Calculator.
The Water Accountability and Equity Act (WAEA) was passed on 11/18/2019 and become effective on July 13, 2020. The Bill 18-0307 was enacted on 1/13/2020 by the Baltimore City Council to solve the problem of high water cost.
Through the use of credits, the legislation establishes a tiered billing system tied to income. For the city’s poorest residents, it would cap their water bill at no more than 1% of their annual pay.
- Water-for-All Discount Program
The WAEA will create a new water affordability program, the Water-for-All Discount Program, for households at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Both homeowners and tenants will be eligible to participate in the program. The Water-for-All program will entitle participants to a credit applied to their water bill, which will cap water bills at a percentage of income on the following tiered basis
- 0-50% of Federal Poverty Guidelines – bill capped at 1% of income
- 50-100% of Federal Poverty Guidelines – bill capped at 2% of income
- 100-200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines – bill capped at 3% of income
U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines Used to Determine Financial Eligibility for Certain Programs
HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2022
The 2022 poverty guidelines are in effect as of January 12, 2022.
Federal Register Notice, January 12, 2022 – Full text.
Join our listserv to stay up-to-date on the latest news regarding the poverty guidelines.
For homeowners, the credit will be applied directly to water bills issued by DPW. For tenants in buildings with a master meter whose water is billed on an allocated basis, the credit will be disbursed by check.
In addition to offering billing credits, the Water-for-All program will allow participants to pay down arrears without making any additional payments beyond their current bill. Each on-time payment by a Water-for-All participant will be credited toward the participant’s pre-enrollment arrears in the amount of that payment until all arrears are satisfied. Additionally, “[o]nce a recipient is enrolled in the Water-for-All Discount Program, timely payment in full of each bill satisfies all of a recipient’s current water liabilities so that there is no addition to arrears after enrollment.” § 2-13(C).
- Rights and Protections for Tenants
As discussed above, the WAEA entitles income-eligible tenants to billing credits under the Water-for-All Discount program. The WAEA also strengthens protections for tenants by amending the City Code’s Residential Lease Requirements to require landlords to expressly state in a written lease if they require a tenant to pay the cost of water or wastewater services. Residential leases will be required to include a provision that the landlord makes the tenant a designee to request and receive copies of any water or wastewater account records. Finally, if a landlord requires a tenant to reimburse the landlord for allocated water or wastewater costs, the lease must describe the calculation method and specify the average monthly allocated costs of service in the 12 months preceding the execution of the lease.
- Office of Water-Customer Advocacy
The WAEA will create an Office of Water-Customer Advocacy, to be housed within DPW, which will serve as a “neutral intermediary created to promote fairness to customers dealing with water and wastewater billing disputes.” § 2-17(B)(1). To request enrollment call 410-396-5555, opt #3 to have the application mailed to you.
The office will serve three primary functions:
-
-
- Advocating for customers by conducting problem-solving investigations into billing disputes and implementing solutions, including connecting customers to complementary social services, improving communication between customers and DPW, and adjusting bills when warranted.
- Conducting appeals hearings after a problem-solving determination has been made.[1]
- Reporting on office activities and recommendations for changes to DPW rules, regulations, policies, and procedures at least semi-annually to a newly established Committee for Office Oversight.
-
Customers (both homeowners and tenants) may seek assistance from the Office either orally or in writing within 90 days of a disputed Water-for-All Discount program determination or other DPW action related to service or billing. Customer Advocates may grant equitable relief to customers in the form of the change of an amount due on a bill or the reversal of a DPW decision. Customer Advocates will be required to issue a written report, including a notice of the right to appeal, after the completion of an investigation.
- Appeals Process
Customers who are dissatisfied with the result of an investigation through the Office of Water-Customer Advocacy will have the right to appeal through a formal process created by the WAEA. DPW is required to contract with the Environmental Control Board, which will independently review determinations in a Customer Advocate’s investigative report through a formal hearing process. After a hearing, the independent Hearing Officer will issue a written proposed decision, which may be adopted or modified by the DPW Director in a final agency decision. A customer may seek a judicial review of the final agency decision issued by DPW.
[1] The initial version of the bill stated that appeal hearings would be conducted within the Office of Water-Customer Advocacy. The final version provides for hearings to be conducted independently by the Environmental Control Board. However, conducting appeals hearings is still among the stated primary functions of the Office of Water-Customer Advocacy in the final bill.
Monitor Water Bill Online
Register your bill by creating an account at waterbillportal.baltimorecity.gov. Reviewing your bill on-demand allows you to see if there is unexpected usage, updates, and savings. Can view the 36-months activity, perform comparisons, and email disputes. Water usage data is available the day after the meter is read and info transmitted.
If questions, call (410)-396-5398; dpw.billing@baltimorecity.gov
Source: 