City and county residents should expect some mail this week from the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. It won’t be the actual water bills that they’ve been missing for the last three months, but more a reminder that they are coming soon.
Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young today said the city should “be in position by early August to begin sending bills to customers.”
Those monthly mailings have been suspended amid Baltimore’s recovery from a ransomware attack that struck in May. Meters have still been recording water usage, but the city said it’s been unable to process that data from late spring and early summer, and therefore couldn’t yet bill customers.
But that will change soon. As a heads up, DPW today said it’s mailed out postcards alerting customers to expect higher-than-normal charges, since the next bill will account for May, June and July usage (and for some, April as well).
The agency previously estimated the average monthly bill for a household of three at about $98, though that was before the latest 10 percent rate increase took effect. So, the average household of that size should expect a bill for more than $300 covering the last three months.
“Clearly that bill is going to be a long bill, and some citizens my find difficulty in making the payment,” DPW Director Rudy Chow acknowledged today. He said the agency will be offering six- and 12-month payment plans to customers looking to spread out the total.
DPW’s postcard also outlines the agency’s various assistance offerings, including the newly rolled-out Baltimore H20 Assists and BH20 Plus programs, plus other grants and payment plans for qualifying low-income customers. The mailer also includes contact information for DPW’s customer service department.
Asked how locals should brace for the hefty bills, Young said officials have been advising the public to set aside money for each month they haven’t been charged. “We don’t punish anybody, but everybody has to pay their bills.”
While DPW has introduced new assistance options to help customers with rising water bills–a necessity to pay for billions of dollars worth of federally required sewer infrastructure upgrades, officials argue–lawmakers are considering broader reforms to help Baltimore’s struggling bill payers.
Council members tomorrow will consider amendments to legislation that would introduce income-based water billing for the city’s lowest-earning households. The proposal would also overhaul the process for disputing charges by creating a dedicated Office of Water-Customer Advocacy and Appeals.
The council’s Taxation and Finance Committee will hold a public work session on the bill Thursday at 10 a.m.
