Monthly City Water/Sewer Billing To Begin In October 2004

September 13, 2004

ROANOKE, VA-Western Virginia Water Authority residential water and sewer customers in the City of Roanoke will receive monthly bills, rather than quarterly ones, beginning in October. All Water Authority customers in Roanoke County and commercial customers in the city already are billed monthly. Monthly water/sewer billing simplifies household budgeting.

The October bills will be mailed beginning the second week of October. For city customers who have not yet received their bills for the past three months of water/sewer service, they will receive their last quarterly bill in September. For these customers, their October bills will reflect 30 days of usage. For city customers who received their last quarterly bill in August, their October bill will reflect up to 60 days of usage, depending on the date of their last meter reading. All bills indicate the dates of usage.

With monthly billing, the Water Authority will read meters of city residential customers once a quarter. One bill a quarter will be determined by the reading; the bills for the following two months will be estimated based on averaged usage. Any estimation settle-ups will be reflected on the next bill based on actual meter readings.

Also beginning in October, the Western Virginia Water Authority will no longer mail delinquency payment notices. The payment due date is printed on the bill. Penalties for overdue payment will be applied after the due date if payment is not received. To avoid penalties, payments must be received by the bill due date.

Customers with questions about monthly billing can call the Water Authority's Utility Billing Office at 540-853-2456 for more information.

The Water Authority offers a Bank Draft Payment Program to all its customers. A Bank Draft Budget Payment Program is available to city customers; this program will be available to county customers after January 1, 2005. Authorization forms for both programs are available on the Water Authority's Web site at
www.westernvawater.org or at the Water Authority Utility Billing Office in the city's Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building at 215 Church Avenue, Room 252. The Bank Draft Payment program authorization forms are available at the county's Administration Center at 5204 Bernard Drive, Suite 300-C.