Coronavirus Latest: Water Billing Resumes May 8 In Baltimore, Mayor Young Announces New Emergency COVID-19 Discount Program
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Water billing in Baltimore City will resume on Friday, May 8 and a new Emergency COVID-19 Discount will be in place.
Water billing has been delayed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"To protect our DPW staff from COVID-19 we created a process to generate bills, provide customer service remotely, and allow our employees to telework," said Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young. "This process took a few weeks to put in place, which delayed billing cycles for March and April—time well spent, given that the new process provides the flexibility to meet the changing needs of our communities."
Customers will see a larger than normal water bill that includes part of March and all of April. Late fees will not be assessed for overdue water bill payments and the water has not and will not be shut off for lack of payment, the city said.
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DPW said it will continue to offer payment plans for those struggling to pay their bills.
The Emergency COVID-19 Discount will be for any Baltimore City water account holder who shows proof of unemployment eligibility. The discount will provide the same assistance that eligible BH20 Assists and BH20 Plus participants currently receive:
- A 43% discount on charges for water and sewer usage
- A waiver of Bay Restoration and Storm Water Remediation fees
The discount is effective May 8 and will stay in place until 90 days after the end of the current state of emergency or December 31, 2020, whichever comes first; and the discount will be good for one year.
To make it easier to apply for the Emergency COVID-19 Discount and the BH2O programs, the city will launch a new online application on May 8. The application will be available at cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/BH20 and bmorechildren.com/bh2o. Applications by mail will also continue to be accepted.
DPW encourages customers to continue to make payments online at cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/water/ or by mailing their payment to the Director of Finance, 200 Holliday St., Baltimore, MD 21202.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
