How to Pay Your Water Bill to the City of San Diego

The City of San Diego provides water and sewer service to over 13 million residents If you have an account with the city’s Public Utilities Department, you’ll receive a monthly or bi-monthly utility bill that needs to be paid promptly. This guide covers how San Diego water bill pay works, including the various payment options and programs available.

Overview of Ways to Pay Your San Diego Water Bill

The City of San Diego offers customers multiple convenient ways to pay water and sewer bills

• Pay online via credit/debit card or e-check
• Pay by phone 24/7 using the automated system
• Pay by mail with check or money order
• Pay in person at authorized payment locations

Paying online via the customer portal or by phone are the quickest options that post instantly Mailed payments require extra time to process. Payments made at physical locations offer an in-person payment experience

Below we’ll explore these San Diego water bill payment choices and programs in more detail so you can choose the best option for you.

Paying Your Water Bill Online

Going to https://customerportal to pay your City of San Diego water bill is the fastest and easiest way to do it. sandiego. gov.

To get started with online bill pay, you’ll first need to create an account on the portal if you don’t already have one. Provide your account and contact details to register.

Once your account is setup, here are the steps for paying your water bill online:

1. Login to the customer portal

2. Locate and click on “Pay My Bill”

3. Select a payment method and enter your details

4. Review and submit your payment

5. Your payment will process instantly

You can pay your City of San Diego bills online with either a credit or debit card or an e-check. Payments post to your account immediately after being submitted.

Convenience Fees

Please note that the city charges convenience fees for online credit/debit card payments to offset transaction costs:

• $1.19 for water payments under $100
• $2.99 for water payments over $100
• $14.95 for sewer payments

E-check payments from a bank account avoid convenience fees.

Setup Auto-Pay

For easy set-and-forget bill payment, consider enrolling in auto-pay through the online portal. This automatically charges your selected payment method each billing cycle.

With auto-pay, you don’t have to manually pay each month. Your water bill gets paid on time without the hassle.

To start, select the “AutoPay Program” option after logging into your city water account online. Provide your payment details and confirm your enrollment.

Paying Your Water Bill by Phone

In addition to online payments, the City of San Diego also allows water bill payment over the phone through its automated pay-by-phone system.

To use this method, call 619-515-3500 and follow the voice prompts. You’ll need to enter your 10-digit account number and payment details on your phone keypad.

The automated phone payment system is available 24 hours a day and will instantly process your payment. Keep your account number handy to access your account.

While not as quick and convenient as the online portal, the phone payment option is helpful if you prefer talking to an automated system or don’t have Internet access.

Paying Your Water Bill by Mail

Paying your City of San Diego water bill by physical mail is also an option if you prefer. Here are the steps:

1. Write your 10-digit account number on your check or money order

2. Make payable to “City Treasurer”

3. Mail to:

   City Treasurer
   PO Box 129003
   San Diego, CA 92112-9003

4. Allow 5 business days for delivery

We recommend mailing your payment at least 1 week before the due date listed on your bill. This ensures adequate time for the city to receive and process your mailed payment.

While one of the slower options, paying by mail may appeal to customers not comfortable with electronic payments. Just be sure to account for mailing and processing time.

Paying Your Water Bill In-Person

The City of San Diego has over 200 authorized payment locations where you can pay your water bill in person with cash, check, or money order.

This includes places like:

• 7-Eleven stores
• Albertsons grocery stores
• Vons grocery stores
• San Diego County Credit Union branches

Find a full listing of walk-in payment locations on the city’s website. In-person payments post to your account same-day.

For the largest network of payment sites, paying in person is convenient. But this option does involve traveling to a payment center each month.

Payment Assistance Programs

If paying your San Diego water bill is a financial hardship, customer assistance programs are available:

• Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program – Offers bill discounts to qualifying low-income households.

• Temporary Water Assistance Program (TWAP) – Provides a one-time annual credit for low-income customers.

• Payment Plans – Lets you pay past due balances over time without penalties.

Visit the city’s website to check eligibility and apply for these and other assistance programs. Taking advantage of an available program can help ease the cost burden if you’re struggling to pay your water and sewer bill each month.

Avoid Late Fees and Service Disruption

To avoid penalties and keep your water flowing, be sure to pay your bill in full by the due date printed on your statement. The City of San Diego charges a 10% late fee on past due balances.

If your account becomes severely delinquent, your water service may be shut off. Payment plans can help avoid disruption if you’re behind on payments. Communicate with the city early on if you anticipate issues paying your bill.

Setting up automatic payments or payment reminders are great ways to prevent missed bills and late fees too. Keeping your account current ensures smooth service.

Check Your Balance and Usage History

An advantage of the online customer portal is you can check your up-to-date account balance anytime. Monitoring your balance helps avoid surprises on your next bill.

The portal also provides usage and billing history so you can track your costs over time. Reviewing this info makes it easy to see the impact of conservation efforts and detect abnormal usage.

Staying on top of your balance and consumption patterns allows you to better understand and manage your San Diego water bill.

Update Billing Preferences

Beyond making payments, you can manage account preferences through the online portal too, such as:

• Enroll in paperless e-bills
• Change account information
• Modify contact preferences
• Setup bill reminders
• Update auto-pay settings

Optimizing these settings to your needs helps simplify city water account administration. Going paperless also reduces waste and clutter.

Get Support from Customer Service

If any questions come up regarding your account, bill, payments, or water service, San Diego Public Utilities customer support is here to help:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 619-515-3500
• Twitter: @SDPUC

Contact them for bill clarification, payment troubleshooting, program guidance, or general utility assistance. The city aims to provide responsive, informative support.

Managing your City of San Diego water service account through the online portal and with helpful customer service makes paying your bill, monitoring usage, updating preferences, and more a breeze. Paying on time and keeping your account in good standing ensures reliable water and sewer service.