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Utility Bills and Payments

 

 Billing Information

Water & sewer utility bills are sent out quarterly, by month end in March, June, September and December.  Payment is due on the 20th day of the subsequent month in April, July, October and January.

The following services are included in the billing:

WU                    Volumetric charge for water based on number of gallons used in thousands of gallons

WS                     Flat fee for water services provided

FR                      Flat fee for the purpose of supplying water to private fire protection systems

SU                      Volumetric charge for sewer usage based on water usage in thousands of gallons

SS                      Flat fee for sewer services provided

SWU                   Storm Water Utility

For your convenience, your utility bill is available through electronic billing.  To receive e-bills, register online at Payment Service Network.  You will need your account number to register, it is located on your utility bill.  After registering, you will receive an e-mail notification of the next quarter’s billing.  An online payment option is available.

  Water & Sewer Rates

Water rates are established for the Water Utility by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin. Sewer rates are established by the Kewaskum Village Board. The rates should be high enough to provide the utility with a reasonable opportunity to recover the total costs of providing service and to sustain its financial integrity that in turn provides a dependable and reliable service to the consumer.

Rate File - Effective Q1 2024

 

 Understanding your Utility Bill

The village offers an online e-bill with notification sent to your e-mail and a mailed postage card bill.  Samples of each bill are shown below, including information on your bill and how the bill is calculated for a residential customer.  Note:  The calculation is based on rates in effect for Q1 2023.

 Payment Options

The Village accepts cash, checks (made payable to: Village of Kewaskum), e-check, or credit card.  The following is a complete list of payment options:

  • Online Bill Pay – Set up payments through your bank’s online bill pay
  • Payment Service Network– Electronic payments (credit, debit and e-check) are accepted.  Service provider fees are listed on the website
  • By Mail:                Village of Kewaskum, PO Box 38, Kewaskum, WI 53040
  • By Phone:            877-885-7968

 Returned Payments

Checks or automated payments that are returned by the bank as insufficient, closed account or any other purpose, shall be assessed a service charge.  The Utility Clerk shall notify the customer in writing (e-mail or mailed letter) of the returned check and service charge.  Customer shall make payment in cash, money order or cashier’s check.

 Failure to Receive Bill

Every reasonable care will be exercised in the proper delivery of utility bills.  Failure to receive a utility bill, however, shall not relieve any person of the responsibility for payment of utility rates within the prescribed period, nor exempt any person from any penalty imposed for delinquency in the payment thereof.

 Late Fees

All accounts for water, sewer and storm water utility shall be due and payable quarterly on or before the due date printed on the customer bill.  A late payment charge of three percent (3%) of water related services, but not less than 50 cents and ten percent (10%) of sewer related services will be applied to the unpaid balance as of the current billing period.  The late payment charge is applicable to all customers.

The customer may be given a written notice that the bill is overdue no sooner than 20 days after the bill is issued and unless payment or satisfactory arrangement for payment is made within the next 10 days, service may be disconnected pursuant to Wis. Admin. Code Ch. PSC 185.

 Payment Agreement Plans

When unable to make payment in full on or before the due date, customers are encouraged to enter into a Payment Agreement Plan.

The standard plan offered is 50% of the outstanding balance down at time of agreement, 25% of the outstanding balance after one month and the remaining balance two months after the agreement is entered upon.  All other payment agreement terms must go before the Village Board for approval.

By signing the Payment Agreement Plan, it does not affect the customers responsibility to pay subsequent service billings.  Allowing any bill for service to become delinquent, will cause the agreement to be nullified and may result in service disconnection.

After two (2) failed payment arrangement plans, the customer no longer qualifies for Payment Agreement Plans and will be required to make all past payments and remain current in future billings to avoid disconnection.

 Delinquent Account Notices

The utility department shall send out delinquent account notices for all accounts with an outstanding balance of greater than $50.00. A secondary notice shall be sent to Landlords for Tenant accounts. Customers have ten (10) business days from the date of notice to either pay the account in full or enter upon a Payment Agreement Plan. Failure to act, may result in disconnection of service.

 Disconnection on Delinquent Accounts

Customers who fail to respond to the delinquent account notice, within the ten (10) business days with payment in full or entering into a Payment Agreement Plan will be scheduled for disconnection of services.  Disconnection notices, shall be posted at the residence and include:

  • Address of delinquent account
  • Scheduled disconnection date
  • Action needed to avoid disconnection, including deadline date and time
  • Reconnection fee
  • Village address and phone number

Disconnection shall be scheduled Monday through Thursday only, but not on the day before a holiday.

Failure to make payment in full or enter upon a Payment Agreement Plan prior to the deadline noted, will result in disconnection.

Prior to restoration of services, the customer must pay the reconnection fee and make payment in full or enter upon a Payment Agreement Plan.  If payment is received after regular staffing hours, service will not be reconnected until the next business day.

 Tax Roll Process

Wisconsin State Statute § 66.0809 requires municipalities to place delinquent water bills on the tax roll as a special charge against the property that was furnished with utility service.

The ability to collect for unpaid utility bills through the property tax roll generally has worked to keep the amount of municipal uncollectible debt to a minimum. This limits loss caused by unpaid utility bills and protects other utility customers from rate increases.

The statute also required utilities to notify landlords of tenant delinquencies if the landlord requested notification in writing. In the Village of Kewaskum, this notice must be provided to the Utility Clerk by having the landlord and tenant complete the Landlord-Tenant Agreement when the tenant moves in. Notice was required in order to provide landlords with an opportunity to either pay the bill or collect the arrearage from the tenant before the municipality transfers the delinquent amount to the landlord’s property tax bill.

NOTIFICATION TIMELINE

  • October 1st - Utility determines which accounts are in arrears as of this date.
  • October 15th – Utility sends written notice of any amounts in arrears as of October 1st to all property owners and tenants. Utility shall also provide notice to each tenant against whom the municipality has a statutory lien.
  • November 1st – Utility applies a 10% penalty. Addition of the penalty is not optional.
  • November 16th – Utility transfers the unpaid arrears, plus the penalty, to the tax roll.

 Utility Dispute Procedures

The following process will be taken for customer disputes regarding their utility bill.

  1. Customer shall notify the utility department, in writing, if there is a problem with their utility bill within ten (10) working days of the due date printed on the disputed bill.
  2. The Utility Clerk will review and research the disputed bill, if a billing calculation error is found, it will be corrected immediately.
  3. If a re-read is necessary, it will be scheduled within two (2) business days of the notice.  The meter reader will check the working condition of the meter at the time of the re-read.
  4. If the re-read shows an error was made, or the meter was not working property, the reading and/or meter will be changed and the bill will be adjusted accordingly.
  5. If the re-read shows the original reading was correct and the meter was working properly, no adjustment will be made.
  6. The customer may request that the meter be tested to check the meter for accuracy.  The first test will be at the utility department’s expense, all subsequent tests are at the customer’s expense.
  7. After researching the disputed bill, the Utility Clerk shall make a decision within seven (7) business days (unless otherwise stated) after receipt of the complaint. 
  8. If the customer is not satisfied with the Utility Clerk’s decision, the customer may submit a written request, within ten (10) business days of Utility Clerk’s decision, to have the disputed bill presented to the Village Board for a final decision.