Water Services FAQs

Do you accept credit cards by internet or phone?

Please visit our online payment portal to pay using a Mastercard, Visa, or Discover credit card.  American Express is not accepted and pay-by-phone is not available.  

To avoid late charges, payment must be received in the Utility Services Office by 4:00 p.m. on the due date.  We do not offer phone payments.

Do you charge a late charge?

Yes.  The late charges are 10% of the water, sewer, garbage/recycle, and Municipal Drainage Utility Service (MDUS) charges. To avoid late charges, payment must be received in the Utility Services Office by 5:30 pm. on the due date.

Payments left in the night drop after 5:30 p.m. on the due date are considered late and will have a late fee assessed. Payments made using alternate payment options are posted the next business day or when funds are received and therefore are considered late.

Do you offer payments by bank draft?

Yes.  To receive an application, please contact the Utility Services office at 281-420-6515 or go to New Service.

Do you send a notice before water is disconnected for non-payment?

Yes.  The Utility Services office sends a notice of non-payment in the form of a letter once the account is past due and at lease eight days prior to the proposed termination date.  The letter states the day which payment must be made to avoid service interruption.

How much is the deposit?

If you own the property, the deposit is $100.00 per unit.  If you are renting/leasing, the deposit is $200.00 per unit.  Non-residential deposits are calculated based on  comparable business use applied to current rates.  There is also a $30.00 service fee per meter.

Is my payment posted to my account the same day it is received?

Payments received in the Utility Services office before 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday are posted the same day received.  Payments placed in the night drop box or paid online are posted the next business day. 

Is there a charge for transfer of service?

Yes.  There is a $25.00 service charge to transfer service and the bill must be paid to date.

What are my payment options?

The City accepts cash, check,, money order, automatic bank draft, and a credit card (Mastercard, Discover, Visa, No American Express) with proper identification.

1. In person payments accepted:  Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
2. Pay Utility Bill Online
3. Automatic Bank Draft
4. Night drop (located in the front & rear of the building)
5. Mail:  P.O. Box 738277 Dallas, TX 75373-8277

What if I cannot pay my bill?  Is there a place in Baytown that will provide assistance?

Yes.  Please contact the following offices:

• Baytown Resource and Assistance Center at 281-424-5752
• Harris County Social Services at 281-422-8564

What is the MDUS fee on my bill?

The MDUS fee stands for Municipal Drainage Utility System.  Please contact the Health Department Storm Water Division at 281-420-5384 for more information.

What will I need to pay if my water is disconnected for non-payment?

The past due amount plus a $50.00 delinquent fee.  If all outstanding charges or fees are paid in the Utility Services office before 3:00 p.m., the water will be reconnected the same day.  If payment is made after 3:00 p.m., water will be restored the next business day.

When am I charged a $50.00 delinquent fee?

The $50.00 delinquent fee is automatically generated and charged, if the past due amount is not paid in the Utility Services Office before 5:30 p.m. on the notice for non-payment due date.

When can I make a payment arrangement?

At any time authorized by Utility Services Office prior to your payment due date.  Once services have been disconnected, a payment arrangement is not available.  All payment arrangement must meet eligibility requirements and must be requested in-person.

When will I get my deposit back?

When the account is closed, the deposit is applied toward payment of the final billing.  Any credit balance is refunded to the customer by check after the final bill has been processed.

When payments are mailed or paid online, when is the payment applied to the account?

Once the funds are physically received in the Utility Services Office, which generally takes 1 to 3 days depending on the method used.  We encourage you not to use these methods if you have received a delinquent disconnect notice.

How do you figure out the sewer charge?

Residential and commercial sewer charges are based on the monthly water consumption billed.  The total water consumption billed will be the same as the sewer charges. 

Do you have a drive through window or a night deposit box?

The Utility Services Office do not have a drive through.  The night deposit boxes are located in the front and rear of the Utility Services Office.  Payments placed in the night deposit box are posted the next business day.

How is the meter read and when?

Readings are obtained electronically with a special "drive-by" computer, which picks up the readings emitted by radio frequency through a Meter Interface Unit (MIU).  Customers are billed in thousands of gallons so not all dials are used in calculating the bill.  The last two digits on the right are dropped when entering the reading for billing, i.e. 547413 is read 5474.  The previous reading is subtracted from the current reading to calculate the amount of water used between readings.  The meter is read each month.