The Complete Guide to Paying Your Ann Arbor Water Bill

Living in Ann Arbor? Then you’re probably familiar with getting a water bill in the mail every month or two from the city. Paying your water bill on time is important to avoid late fees or even water shutoff But the process of actually paying that water bill can be confusing if you’ve never done it before Not to worry – this complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know about paying your Ann Arbor water bill.

How Often Do You Get a Water Bill in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor issues water bills bimonthly, aka every other month. So you can expect a new water bill in your mailbox every 2 months.

Bills are issued at the beginning of January, March, May, July, September, and November. They cover your water usage for the previous two months.

For example, you’ll get a bill in early January covering water you used in November and December. Then in March you’ll get a bill covering January and February and so on throughout the year.

Ann Arbor does daily meter readings to track exactly how much water is used at each property. The total usage for the billing period is what’s listed on your bill.

What’s Included on an Ann Arbor Water Bill?

When you open your Ann Arbor water bill, here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll find:

• Account information: This includes your name, account number, service address, billing date, and due date. Make sure all the details are correct!

• Previous balance: Any amount left unpaid from your prior water bill.

• Payments and adjustments: Credits to your account, like if you overpaid on a previous bill.

• Water usage: How many units (1 unit = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons) you used during the billing period. Usage is listed separately for each billing cycle (for example, Nov 16 – Dec 15 and then Dec 16 – Jan 15 on a January bill).

• Water and sewer charges: The cost per unit and total charges based on your usage. This is where you’ll see the actual dollar amounts you owe.

• Current charges: Sum of all the water and sewer charges.

• Total amount due: Includes any unpaid previous balance plus the current charges. This is your total amount owed for this billing cycle.

• Billing history graph: Shows your usage over the past year so you can spot trends.

• Payment stub: The section at the bottom you’ll detach and return with your payment.

Now let’s get into…

How to Pay Your Ann Arbor Water Bill

You’ve got multiple options for taking care of your water bill payment. Here are the main methods available and instructions for each:

Pay online

The city of Ann Arbor offers online bill pay through their website. This is often the quickest and most convenient way to pay.

To pay online:

1. Go to www.a2gov.org/services/waterbilling

2. Click on “Pay Water Bill Online”

3. Enter your 10-digit account number (without dashes) and 4-digit PIN. This info can be found printed on your paper bill. If it’s your first time paying online, your PIN is the last 4 digits of the account number.

4. Select whether you want to pay the total amount due or a partial payment.

5. Enter your payment info and submit. Accepted payment methods are credit card, debit card, or electronic check.

6. Print or save the confirmation page after paying for your records.

Online payments are processed instantly, so you can avoid late fees as long as you pay by the due date. One thing to note – there is a third-party processing fee of $1.50 for electronic checks or 2.5% for credit/debit cards.

Pay by phone

If you prefer to talk to a real person, you can pay your Ann Arbor water bill by phone. Call 734-794-6320 and have your account number and payment details ready. The same third-party processing fees apply as with online payments.

Pay by mail

Go old-school and mail in a physical check or money order using the payment stub from your water bill. Be sure to mail it several days before the due date to ensure it arrives on time. Send your mailed payments to:

Ann Arbor Water Utilities

PO Box 8647

Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8647

One thing to note with mailed payments – the payment will not be applied to your account until it’s processed, so make sure to account for mailing time.

Pay in person

You can pay your water bill in person at Ann Arbor City Hall located at 301 E. Huron St. Take your paper bill with you. City hall is open 8am-5pm Monday through Friday.

In-person payments can be made by cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card. Again, there are third-party processing fees that apply for credit/debit card payments.

Sign up for auto-pay

If you’re forgetful about paying bills on time, consider enrolling in auto-pay directly through your bank. This authorizes Ann Arbor to automatically withdraw your water bill from your specified checking or savings account each billing period.

To get started, you’ll need to fill out and submit an auto-pay application, which can be downloaded from the city website. Return the completed form by mail, email, fax, or in person.

Once set up, you’ll receive bills as normal but don’t have to do anything – the payment amount will automatically be deducted around the due date. Make sure you always have enough funds in your linked account to cover each bill.

Enroll in paperless billing

Tired of dealing with paper bills in your mailbox? Ann Arbor lets you go paperless and receive water bills electronically. This allows instant access to bills without waiting for mail delivery.

To switch to paperless billing:

1. Log into your account on the online bill pay website.

2. Click on “Go Paperless” and agree to the terms.

3. Verify your email address.

4. A confirmation email will be sent with setup instructions.

Once enrolled, you’ll receive an email notification when each new bill is ready to view. You can then log in anytime to view or pay the bill online. Easy peasy!

What If You’re Late Paying Your Bill?

We get it – sometimes life gets busy and water bills slip down the priority list. But late payments come with some not-so-fun consequences, so try your best to pay on time.

Here’s what happens if your payment is late:

• Late fee – A 10% penalty will be added if your bill isn’t paid by the due date. This applies to the total past due balance.

• Shutoff notice – If your bill remains unpaid 20+ days past the due date, a shutoff notice will be sent stating your water service is subject to termination.

• Water shutoff – If the bill continues going unpaid, your water will eventually be shut off until the past due amount is paid in full. There is a $50 fee to turn service back on.

• Collections – Severely delinquent accounts may be turned over to a collection agency, which damages your credit score. Outstanding balances can also be assessed as a lien against your property.

As you can see, it’s really not worth it to pay late! Set reminders to pay your water bill on time every billing cycle. Sign up for auto-pay or paperless billing to make it even easier.

How to Dispute or Get Help Paying Your Bill

If your water bill amount seems unusually high, don’t panic. First call Ann Arbor Water Utilities at 734-794-6320 to discuss the charges. There could be a water leak, billing error, or other issue causing the spike.

You can also formally dispute a water bill if you believe it’s incorrect. Submit the dispute in writing to Ann Arbor Water Utilities. Include your account number, the disputed amount, and any documentation supporting your claim. A dispute temporarily halts collections efforts until resolved.

For help paying a high water bill or past due balance, inquire about the following assistance programs:

• Flexible Payment Plans – Setup a monthly installment schedule to pay off balances over time.

• Payment Assistance – Qualified low-income households can receive up to $175 credit per year on water bills.

• Bill Roundup Program – Round up bills to the nearest dollar, with proceeds funding payment assistance.

• Water Shutoff Protection – Shutoff protection November 1 through March 31 for seniors, disabled individuals, and low-income households.

Changes to Your Ann Arbor Water Service

As a final note, it’s important to notify Ann Arbor Water Utilities any time there’s a change to your water service or account info