Baltimore City residents and businesses can now get an email notification when their monthly water bill is ready to view online instead of getting the bill in their mailbox.
Mayor Brandon Scott and Department of Public Works Director Jason Mitchell announced the change as part of a new paperless billing option.
Starting at the end of the month, the city will also implement a new payment plan program to help residents who have fallen behind on paying their water bills.
“When I became mayor of this great city, I made a commitment to do what was necessary to modernize operations and improve services and supports for our residents,” Scott said in a statement. “I’m pleased to see that DPW is kicking off 2023 by implementing two programs to enhance customer service. Baltimore City residents are encouraged to make full use of the new electronic billing option, which is an innovative way to manage and keep accounts current.”
To sign up for paperless water billing, residents can visit the Department of Public Works’ Customer Self-Service Portal, where they can create an account or log into an existing account.
Once logged into the portal, customers can opt into paperless billing on the account summary page.
Customers who do not wish to enroll in paperless billing can continue getting their bill by physical mail.
The city’s new PromisePay payment plan program will allow Baltimore City residents to pay off past-due residential water bill balances over time with no interest.
The program, which will launch Jan. 30, will cover past-due balances of $250 to $5,000.
The paperless billing option and payment plan program are the latest changes to Baltimore City’s water bill operations.
Other recent improvements include the Water4All program that provides discounts on water bills for low-income customers; a new rate adjustment policy for residents with high water bills due to plumbing leaks; more training and development opportunities for DPW’s customer service support staff; and the city’s lowest rate increase since 1998.
“Throughout DPW, we are committed to providing ‘Best in Class’ customer service,” Mitchell said in a statement. “Paperless billing and PromisePay offer residents an easier, more sustainable way to manage their water bills and access to flexible, interest-free payment plans.”
