Info for New Water and Sewer Customers

In order to serve you better, we would like to provide you with important information and dates concerning your water/sewer bill with the City of Columbia Falls.

Deposits

If you are a new customer today and are purchasing your home, you will not be required to pay a deposit. You will need to fill out a customer card in order to establish your account. If you are renting, your landlord hopefully will have informed you as to whether or not you will need to pay the $250 deposit when you put the account into your name. If you are required to pay the deposit, the money will be applied to your final bill when you move, with the remainder, if any, refunded to you.

Meter Readings

Meters are read between the 15th and 21st of each month, depending on weekends, holidays and which route you are on. If for any reason we are unable to read your meter, your usage will be determined by your winter average or family size if you have not yet established an average.

Billing

Bills go out between the 24th and 27th of each month, and they are always due on the 15th of the following month. After the 15th, your account is subject to a $2 penalty or 1 percent of the unpaid balance, whichever is higher. If you do not receive your bill by the first of the month, please feel free to give us a call at 406-892-4392. Bill cards occasionally get lost in the mail and unless they are returned to us, we have no idea whether your bill was received or not. If it is returned to us, it will be hung on your door.

Past Due Accounts

If your bill is not paid by the time the next bill is generated, the past due portion will be due BEFORE the 15th of the next month. You will receive a letter if you have a past due portion with instructions on when the past due portion is due. You will also be instructed that if this past due portion is not received by 10 a.m. on a specific date, a notice will be hung on your door stating service discontinuance the next day after 10 a.m. There is a $25 fee for this notice.

If you have special circumstances, we will be happy to work with you concerning past due accounts, but you will need to call or come by City Hall to make arrangements to pay your past due bill and avoid unnecessary past due fees. If your bill is not paid and you are shut off for non-pay, your account will need to be brought current, pay a $50 turn on fee and an additional deposit may be required in order to reinstate your service.

Payments

For your convenience, payments can be mailed to the city or dropped in one of our drop boxes. Boxes are located at Smith Foods, Glacier Drug and to the left of the front door at City Hall. Boxes are picked up each weekday by 9 a.m. We do not accept credit cards, debit cards or two-party checks.

Winter Charges

During the winter months (October reading through the April reading), you are charged full sewer charges based on your water usage. You also establish a “winter average” each year based on your December, January and February reading. If you are a brand new customer and cannot establish an average your first year, you will be asked to fill out a “summer sewer average worksheet” so we can assign an average based on your family size.

Summer Charges

During the summer months (April reading through the October reading), you are charged full water charges for all water used. Sewer charges will be charged only up to your winter average. This helps encourage outside watering activities during the summer months.

Current rates

We will be happy to go over our current rates with you if you have any questions.

Dogs

On the water/sewer application card, you were asked if you have any dogs. Our meters are primarily auto-read these days, but some require meter readers to visit your property. In those cases, our meter readers come into your yard once a month to read your meter. They carry dog biscuits in an attempt to become friends with your furry friends. However, some dogs cannot be bought so easily.

If you have a mean or threatening dog, it is your responsibility to be sure the meter reader is not in danger when reading your meter. If your dog bites, you can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined. Please either restrain your dog on meter read days or call our office to arrange for one of our operators to relocate your touch pad to a safe location.

For a list of dates when your meter will be read, feel free to contact this office.