{"id":91,"date":"2019-03-08T17:22:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T22:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\/"},"modified":"2022-12-03T11:45:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T16:45:50","slug":"new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"New Shutoff Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\">*:target { position: relative; margin-top: -3em!important; padding-top: 4em!important; \/*outline: 5px dotted; *\/}\n<\/style>\n<h4>Do you have unpaid water bills that piled up over the winter?<\/h4>\n<p class=\"big\">The best way to avoid having your water at home shut off, and avoid dealing with fees and headaches, is simple: get in touch with us!<\/p>\n<p>During the colder months, we do not shut off most residential customers if they fall behind on their bill because doing so could also cause the heat to stop working.<\/p>\n<p>While that keeps our customers safe, it can also lead to a bigger past-due amount and your water getting shut off when spring arrives.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"center\" id=\"newpolicy\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IMPORTANT: New Shutoff Policy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/week1_midemail-important.png\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>Unlike in past years, <strong>we will now only send one notice<\/strong> warning customers that their water will be shut off due to non-payment \u2013 and <strong>some customers are already getting their one-and-only shutoff notice in the mail<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"side-info grayblue-bg third right\" style=\"min-width: 11em;\">\n<h4 class=\"accentblue\" id=\"whychange\">Why the change?<\/h4>\n<p class=\"white\">Customer advocates encouraged the single-notice policy because they believe multiple notices are confusing and contribute to non-payment of bills and loss of water services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The new one-notice policy means customers with two or more unpaid monthly bills totaling more than $75 past-due can have their water shut off as soon as <a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/shut-off-sample.PNG\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href, 'ShutoffNoticeExample', 'resizable=no,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no,width=740,left=50,height=450,top=150'); return false;\">the date listed at the top of the notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As we adopt this new policy, we want to make sure customers know that <strong>our assistance programs have grown to help more people than ever<\/strong>. These programs can help customers who have low income, are seniors, or experience a special hardship that makes it difficult to pay their water bills.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\">\n<h4>Don&#39;t get shut off \u2013 get help!<\/h4>\n<p>If you got a shutoff notice in the mail and cannot pay your water bill, it&#39;s very important to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.phila.gov\/water-bill-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">apply for help right away<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h5>By applying for help, you can <strong>delay or avoid getting shut off<\/strong> and having to pay restoration fees as we process your application.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>Below are some of the tips for avoiding spring shutoff that we included in a reminder mailed out to customers in February.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"payways\">Don\u2019t want to pay your bill by mail?<\/h2>\n<p>We have other ways to pay:<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">.payway { margin-bottom: 1em; } \t.payway > a { flex: 1 0 25%; padding-right: .5em; }\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"flex payway\" id=\"zipcheck\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/documents\/zipcheck-application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"ZipCheck is the #1 rated payment method for customer satisfaction!\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/banktransfer_web.png\" \/> <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"info\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"right\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/zipcheck_1paymentmethod_web.png\" style=\"width: 35%; min-width: 120px; max-width: 180px; margin: -1.5em -1em -1em 0;\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>ZipCheck (Automatic Bank Transfer)<\/h4>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/documents\/zipcheck-application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Register for ZipCheck<\/a> to set up automatic monthly payments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/documents\/zipcheck-application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download the application<\/a> and follow the instructions from our partners at the Department of Revenue, the City agency responsible for processing water bills.<\/p>\n<p>You can also get info about signing up by calling 215.685.6300.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex payway\" id=\"online\"><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.phila.gov\/WRB\/WaterBill\/Account\/GetAccount.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/webicon_web.png\" \/> <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<h4>Online<\/h4>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visit our website<\/a> and click the blue &#8220;Pay Your Bill&#8221; button<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll need your 16-digit water\/sewer account number, email address, and bank account number or a credit\/debit card.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex payway\" id=\"phone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/services\/water-gas-utilities\/pay-or-dispute-a-water-bill\/pay-a-water-bill#other-ways-to-pay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/phoneicon_web.png\" \/> <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<h4>By Phone<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Call 877.309.3709<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Be ready with your 16-digit water\/sewer account number and a credit\/debit card.<br \/>\n<em>Note: the provider charges a service fee.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex payway\" id=\"in-person\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/services\/water-gas-utilities\/pay-or-dispute-a-water-bill\/pay-a-water-bill#other-ways-to-pay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/inperson_web.png\" \/> <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<h4>In Person<\/h4>\n<p>Come see us and pay directly:<\/p>\n<p>Three authorized customer service locations are open Monday-Friday. The Water Revenue Bureau is not responsible for payments made at any other location.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Center City,\u00a0<\/strong> 8:30 a.m.\u20135 p.m. \u00a0<br \/>\nMunicipal Services Building<br \/>\n1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd<\/p>\n<p>Hours may be extended during tax season, call\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Northeast Philadelphia<\/strong>, 8:30 a.m.\u20135 p.m.<br \/>\nDepartment of Revenue<br \/>\n7522 Castor Avenue<\/p>\n<p><strong>North Philadelphia<\/strong>, 8:30 a.m.\u20135 p.m.<br \/>\nHope Plaza<br \/>\n22nd and Somerset Streets<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"preventshutoff\">New ways to prevent shutoff<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"gethelp\">Get help with your bill<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Your water won\u2019t be turned off as your application is processed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Our assistance programs have grown to help more customers than ever. These programs can help customers who have <strong>low income<\/strong>, are <strong>seniors<\/strong>, or experience a <strong>special hardship<\/strong> that makes it difficult to pay their water bills.<\/p>\n<h4>You can apply online, by mail, or in-person at over two dozen locations.<\/h4>\n<div class=\"side-info big flex\" style=\"margin: 4% auto;justify-content: space-between; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<h5 class=\"nomargin\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.phila.gov\/water-bill-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.phila.gov\/water-bill-help<\/a> or <span class=\"inline-block\">call 215.685.6300<\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"smallish alignright\">TIP: Have the <strong class=\"inline-block\">Water Access Code<\/strong> <span class=\"inline-block\">from your bill ready.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/accesscode_web.png\" style=\"width: 200px; max-width: 40%; margin: -3em 0 -3em 1em;\" \/><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"pwd-c-buttonlarge flex\" href=\"https:\/\/lisa1113.carto.com\/builder\/3132355a-94ab-4963-87b3-8c41605c84bc\/embed\" style=\"margin: 4% auto; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; max-height: unset; justify-content: space-evenly; align-items: center;\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-hidden=\"true\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/phl_billhelpkeymap_web.png\" style=\"max-width: 30%; margin: -3em .5em;\" \/> <strong style=\"margin: .5em; line-height: 1.2;\">Use our online map to find a <span class=\"inline-block\">location near\u00a0you<\/span><\/strong><\/button><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"agreements\">Payment Agreements<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/services\/payments-assistance-taxes\/payment-plans\/water-bill-payment-plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Payment agreements<\/a> are another option to avoid getting shut off and may be offered to customers who are having difficulty paying a bill in full or on time, but don&#39;t qualify for assistance.<\/p>\n<p>This can help with an unusually high bill due to an unnoticed leak.<\/p>\n<h5>Call our hotline number above to ask about payment agreement options or read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/services\/water-gas-utilities\/pay-or-dispute-a-water-bill\/water-bill-customer-assistance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Ways to Get Help<\/a><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"leakbills\">Is a leak to blame for high bills?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"callout darkblue-bg\" style=\"display: table-cell\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-hidden=\"true\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/toilet_caution.png\" style=\"float: right; max-width: 50%; margin: -1em -1em 0 1em;\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"white\" style=\"font-size: 2em; font-weight: 300;\">A leaky toilet can be a costly surprise.<\/h3>\n<p>If your water bill is higher than usual, it could be caused by a leak or something as simple as a running toilet.<\/p>\n<p>It might not seem like a big deal, but <strong>customers are still responsible for water wasted by leaks<\/strong>, so don&#39;t ignore them \u2013 act fast by fixing it or calling a licensed, registered plumber.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Other slow-but-steady leaks can also go unnoticed, so learn to use your meter to detect problems.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"leakcheck\">How to Check for Leaks Using Your Meter<\/h3>\n<div class=\"callout\" style=\"background: #fafcfd; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap;\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Illustration of a water meter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/metereader.JPG\" style=\"flex: 1 1 49%; align-self: flex-end; float: left; max-width: 50%;\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"flex: 1 1 49%; align-self: flex-start; padding-left: 2%; float: right;\">If <strong>these numbers<\/strong> go up, even when you think you aren\u2019t using water, you may have a leak or running toilet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"flex: 1 0 100%; clear:left\">The <strong><a>blue<\/a> star-shaped dial<\/strong> is a low flow leak indicator: Water is flowing when this dial is turning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>Turn off all your faucets and taps, inside and outside your home.<\/li>\n<li>Record all the numbers displayed.<\/li>\n<li>Stop all water usage for at least several hours (while working or overnight.)<\/li>\n<li>Read your meter again, and compare those numbers to what you wrote down earlier. If the numbers are different, you have a leak.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h5><strong class=\"big darkblue\">Not sure where a leak is?<\/strong><br \/>\nA registered plumber can help.<\/h5>\n<h5 id=\"metervideo\"><strong>More: Watch this short video about how to read a meter from our partners at the Revenue Department<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"video\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UIpRZRB6I1Y\" width=\"560\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you have unpaid water bills that piled up over the winter? There are some important things you need to know. Don&#8217;t risk losing water at your home and having to deal with all the headaches and fees that will bring. The best way to avoid a shutoff is simple: get in touch with us!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[8,47,48,99],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infrastructure","tag-announcement","tag-home-maintenance","tag-home-plumbing","tag-tips-and-how-to","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"New Shutoff Policy","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Infrastructure","author":[],"creator":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["announcement","home maintenance","home plumbing","tips and how-to"],"dateCreated":"2019-03-08T22:22:00Z","datePublished":"2019-03-08T22:22:00Z","dateModified":"2022-12-03T16:45:50Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"New Shutoff Policy\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/water.phila.gov\\\/blog\\\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/water.phila.gov\\\/blog\\\/new-shutoff-policy-dont-lose-water-this-spring\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"\"},\"articleSection\":\"Infrastructure\",\"author\":[],\"creator\":[],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"@PhillyH2O Blog\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"announcement\",\"home maintenance\",\"home plumbing\",\"tips and how-to\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2019-03-08T22:22:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-08T22:22:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-03T16:45:50Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/phila.gov\/p.js"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}