How To Pay Your Water Bill in St Helens, Oregon

Paying your water bill is an essential task for any resident or business owner in St Helens, Oregon. The city’s water utility provides high-quality drinking water to over 13000 people across the community. To keep this vital service running customers must pay their water bills regularly. This article will explain everything you need to know about paying your St Helens water bill conveniently and on time.

Overview of St Helens Water Utility

The local water company that serves people and businesses in St. Helens is run by the city. They are in charge of cleaning up water from the Columbia River and pumping it into buildings and homes through a system of pipes buried underground.

The utility currently has around 5300 water connections across the city. To fund operation and maintenance of the water system the utility charges customers a monthly water bill based on the amount of water used.

Water rates are set by St Helens City Council and are typically adjusted annually. The minimum charge for 0-400 cubic feet of water is currently $25.29 per month. Rates increase incrementally up to $3.31 per 100 cubic feet for usage over 20,000 cubic feet.

Payment Options for St Helens Water Bills

To make it easy for everyone to pay their water bills on time every month, the City of St. Helens offers several convenient payment options:

• Online Payments—The Municipal Online Payments website lets people pay their water bills online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll need to create an account with your water account number. Online payments can be made by credit card, debit card or eCheck.

• Phone Payments – Call the utility billing office at 503-397-6272 during business hours to pay your water bill over the phone by credit/debit card or eCheck.

• Mail-In Payments – Detach the payment stub from your paper bill and mail it with a check or money order to City of St Helens, PO Box 278, St Helens, OR 97051. Allow 5 business days for mail delivery.

• Drop Box – Place your payment in the secure drop box located in the parking lot behind St Helens City Hall. Payments in the drop box by 5pm on a business day will be processed the next business day.

• In-Person Payments – Visit the utility billing office at St Helens City Hall (265 Strand St) during business hours to pay your bill in cash, check, money order or card.

• Auto Pay – Sign up to have your water bill payment automatically deducted from your bank account each month. Download the auto pay form on the City of St Helens website.

When are Water Bills Due in St Helens?

Water meters in St Helens are read around the 15th of each month. Printed utility bills are then mailed out to customers within a few days.

Payment for your St Helens water bill is due on the last day of each month. For example, if your meter is read on March 15th, your bill for March usage will be due on March 31st.

If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, payments are instead due on the next business day. Late fees of $10 or 1.5% of the balance (whichever is greater) are charged for overdue bills.

I always recommend paying your water bill as soon as you receive it to avoid forgetting and incurring late fees. Online and phone payments post immediately, while mailed payments should be sent 1-2 weeks before the due date.

Understanding Your Water Bill Charges

When you receive your monthly bill from St Helens Utility Billing, it will itemize the various charges that make up your total amount due. Here are the charges to look for:

• Water Usage – Your main charge based on how much water you used in cubic feet, multiplied by the water rate per 100 cubic feet.

• Base Charge – A fixed monthly charge that helps cover fixed costs like meter reading and billing.

• Water SDC – System Development Charges help fund expansion of the water system for future growth. These are charged per meter.

• Public Safety Fee – Helps fund emergency services like police and fire protection. This is a flat monthly fee.

• Stormwater Fee – Charged to properties to fund storm drain operation and maintenance. Based on a property’s impervious surface area.

• Sewer – Charged based on your winter average water usage to cover sewage collection/treatment.

Your bill will also list any prior balance, penalties or credits on your account that adjust your total amount due for the month.

Getting Help from St Helens Utility Billing

The friendly staff at St Helens Utility Billing are available to help customers with any questions about water service, billing, payments or other needs:

• In Person: Visit Utility Billing at St Helens City Hall, 265 Strand St, during business hours

• Phone: Call 503-397-6272

• Email: Contact billing staff at [email protected] or [email protected]

• Online: Download forms, rates and FAQs at sthelensoregon.gov/utilities

The utility can help with payment arrangements if you are struggling to pay your bill. They can also investigate potential water leaks, high usage, billing errors or other problems. Reach out right away if you need any assistance with your St Helens water utility service.

What if You Miss a Water Bill Payment?

If payment for your water bill is not received by the due date, a late penalty of $10 or 1.5% will be assessed (whichever is greater). This will show up as an outstanding balance on your next bill.

For balances 60 days past due, the utility will issue a final shutoff notice indicating your service is subject to disconnection. To restore service after water is shut off, you must pay the past due amount in full plus a $50 disconnection/reconnection fee.

I don’t recommend letting your water bill go past due or get shut off. This can damage your credit, lead to extra fees, and disrupt essential water service to your home or business.

If you are struggling financially, I suggest contacting St Helens Utility Billing right away to set up a payment plan that works for your situation. They have options to spread out payments over time so you can avoid shutoffs.

Stay on top of your monthly water bill in St Helens and take advantage of the convenient online and auto-pay options to keep your payments on time. This ensures smooth and continuous water service while avoiding penalties. Reach out to the billing office if you ever have any questions or issues paying your bill.