What to Do When You Can’t Pay Your Water Revenue Bureau Bill
The Water Revenue Bureau is a division of the Philadelphia Water Department. The bureau was created in 1959 to control the delivery, billing and customer service aspects of the water company. Today, there are more than 450,000 customers served by the Water Revenue Bureau.
How to Pay the Bill
The Water Revenue Bureau does not have an official website, but information about billing and payment is located on the Philadelphia.gov website.
Pay by mail: Customers who wish to pay for their Philadelphia Water Department bill pay mail can send check or money order payment to:
Water Revenue Bureau
PO Box 41496
Philadelphia, PA 19101-1496
Pay by credit card online: You can pay your Water Revenue Bureau bill online by visiting https://secure.phila.gov/PaymentCenter/AccountLookup/. Payments are accepted by credit card only. Customers must have the 16-digit account number handy when making a payment. There is a service fee associated with making payments online.
Pay in-person: The Water Revenue Bureau offers three locations where customers can make payment in-person. All payment centers are open Monday to Friday.
- Center City Philadelphia at 1401 JFK Blvd from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Northeast Philadelphia at 9239 Rear Roosevelt Blvd from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- North Philadelphia at 2761 N 22nd St from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Questions About Your Billing Statement or Account?
The Water Revenue Bureau offers a FAQs section on Water and Sewer Bills. The FAQs section explains service charges and usage charges. Customer service can answer any questions a customer may have about fees appearing on the bill at 1-215-686-6880.
How the Penalty Fees Work
The Water Revenue Bureau charges penalty fees when customers do not make payments on time. These fees may be recurring if there is more than one missed payments. If service is disconnected, fees tend to be more expensive and full payment will be required on the account for service is reconnected.
- Late payment fee: A 5% late payment fee is added when the due date is missed. An addition 0.5% fee is added to unpaid balances each month.
- Returned check fee: If a payment is returned for insufficient funds or if the payment is stopped, the Water Revenue Bureau will charge an undisclosed fee.
I Can’t Make a Payment
The Water Revenue Bureau clearly states how payment agreements work for outstanding balances.
- Payment arrangements: Customers who cannot pay a bill on time must call customer service at 1-215-686-6880 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Customer service will set up the past due amount on a payment plan. If the customer cannot meet the requirements of the first payment arrangement, the Water Revenue Bureau will set up a second payment arrangement. If the second payment arrangement is not fulfilled, the customer must make payment in full for the past due amount to maintain water service.
To fulfill a payment arrangement, the customer must make all agreed upon arrangement payments in addition to current charges. Current charges must be paid by the due date in full. No partial payments are accepted. If a partial payment is sent, the payment arrangement agreement is null and void.
Will They Work With Me to Pay My Bill?
We’d love to know how the Water Revenue Bureau worked with you to reconcile your past due payments.
