The COVID-19 crisis reminded us that people may run into financial difficulties unexpectedly. The Commission remains ready to work together with such customers in agreeing to manageable payment arrangements to assure there is no interruption in service. Customers requiring payment assistance should call the Commission’s Collections Department at (617) 989-7070.
How do you pay your bill? What do you do if you believe your bill is wrong? These answers and more are below.
To check your balance or make payments by phone, please call 844-470-5881.
Effective September 1, 2023, customers who pay their water, sewer and stormwater bills using a credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover) will be assessed a convenience fee of $4.25 by the third-party payment processor per every increment of $650.00. The vendor receives the funds directly to cover processing costs; at no time does this fee enter the Commission’s records. BWSC continues to offer payment options without convenience fees. Customers can make payments by cash, electronic check, or by mail with check without being subject to a convenience fee.
Visit the My Account page to make electronic payments using your checking/money market account, debit card or credit card. BWSC accepts MasterCard, VISA, and Discover.
Mail check or money order directly to:
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
980 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02119
BWSC offices at 980 Harrison Avenue will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If you have a credit on your bill, you may have the amount applied to future bills, transferred to another account or you may request a refund if all of your accounts are current.
Contact Customer Service for assistance at 617-989-7800.
If for any reason you believe your bill is wrong, you must notify BWSC within 30 days of the billing date for which the dispute is claimed. Contact Customer Service at 617-989-7800 and identify the amount and the reason you believe there is an error.
For more information on the appeals process, consult the BWSC Billing, Termination and Appeal Regulations (BT&A).
A delinquency charge will be added to any amount not paid within 31 days after the billing date shown on the front of your water,sewer and stormwater bill. The delinquency charge is calculated at a daily rate of .03836%, which is equal to an annual percentage rate of 14%. BWSC has the authority to foreclose on your property if it remains delinquent between one and two years.
Once a formal demand is made, BWSC will charge 16% interest in lieu of the 14% delinquency charge. BWSC will take the property for past-due charges in the same manner that the City of Boston takes properties for past-due taxes. Similar to the City, BWSC will proceed to foreclosure on properties which remain delinquent six months after the taking.
If you are incurring delinquency charges, please call BWSC’s Customer Service 617-989-7800 for possible assistance.
In order to restore water service or understand why your water service has been terminated, please visit the Service Termination and Restoration page.
Homeowners who are 65 years of age and older, or fully disabled who live in a 1-4 family residential dwelling are eligible for a 30% discount on their monthly water,sewer and stormwater charges.
Owner-occupied, residential properties are eligible for the discount. Properties held in trust are eligible for the discount providing that the applicant is both a trustee and a beneficiary of the trust and submits a copy of the written trust instrument that has been recorded at the Registry of Deeds. Properties that are ineligible for the discount include commercial properties and condo units.
To apply for a discount on your water and stormwater portion charges fill out the Discount Form, which is available to download as a PDF or obtain at BWSC offices.
Homeowners requesting an elderly discount must provide proof of age such as a birth certificate, driver’s license or MBTA senior citizen pass. Disabled persons must provide a doctor’s note or an Award Letter from Social Security or the Veterans’ Administration.
The completed form and documentation can be mailed, faxed, or submitted to BWSC offices at:
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
Attn: Customer Service
980 Harrison Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02119
Fax: 617-989-7710
For additional information, please contact Customer Service at 617-989-7800.
The form can be download by clicking the ABOVE button. Then, completed forms and documentations can be mailed, faxed, or submitted to BWSC offices at:
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
Attn: Customer Service
980 Harrison Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02119
The form can also be completed, securely, online by clicking button BELOW. DocuSign is tool that allows for legal signatures to be obtained, and for personally protected information to be safely and securely submitted online.
If you need more time to pay your bill, call Collections at 617-989-7070.
