The Philadelphia Water Department and Water Revenue Bureau are aware of a billing issue impacting approximately 14,000 customers. The customers are largely in the northwest of the city and recently had a meter upgrade. The upgraded meters are working properly and do not need to be replaced. 

The issue is being corrected.

What happened:

Roughly half of the impacted customers may have received multiple bills in recent weeks. Other impacted customers may still be seeing bills with estimated readings. 

This occurred due to an external software issue that did not allow some upgraded meters to connect with the billing system. 

What we are doing:

Impacted customers can expect to receive this letter from Water Revenue.

Customers will receive a single corrected bill in August. This bill will have all up-to-date payments and charges.  

Customers who may have overpaid during this period will receive a credit on their August bill.

Bills for customers who under paid during the period of estimated readings will see the updated charges with the full amount owed in August. 

If you use autopay and are concerned about a potentially large August bill, log into your MyPhillyWaterBill account and set a cap on the amount that can be withdrawn. Zipcheck customers should switch to e-billing now to avoid unwanted withdrawals.    

We apologize for any confusion and inconvenience. We are dedicated to delivering accurate bills and continually working to improve our services.

Note: Unrelated to this issue, customers who were receiving estimated readings prior to being upgraded may receive a bill for water use that was recorded on their meter but not paid for. This occurs when the meter transmitter device fails to register and transmit water usage data. Bills are then estimated based on prior average water usage. If your estimated usage was lower than your actual water use, you will be issued a “catch-up” bill to account for the additional water used. If your estimated reading was higher than your actual water use and you overpaid, you will receive a credit on your account.

To read about estimated readings unrelated to the July 2023 billing issue outlined above, see our blog post about checking your bill.

Dispute a water bill

If you feel there’s a problem with your water bill—whether it’s the amount due, the payment terms, a water shutoff notice, or another issue—you have the right to dispute it. Follow the steps here to resolve the problem or call (215) 685-6300.