General Account Questions

Deeded owners can set up a water account in their name. In order to set up an account the owner must provide a copy of the deed and sign the required form (which can be done in person or via e-mail).

Per the City of Elmira Charter, any unpaid bills are a lien against the property; therefore the property owner is ultimately responsible for any unpaid water charges. All accounts are placed in the deeded owners name. There may be some accounts that still have the tenants name on the account; in those instances the Elmira Water Board will place the account in the deeded owners name when the tenant moves out, or at the request of the deeded owner. 

Owners of rental properties have the option to have the bills mailed to their address or to the service location (the bill will be addressed to the "current resident" in this case). The responsibility for timely payment of charges will remain with the deeded owner. 

Our meter department reads each meter every bill cycle (monthly or bi-monthly) by obtaining a reading from the touch pad located outside your home (and connected to the meter inside your home). If we are unable to obtain a reading we will estimate usage based on previous readings. After 2 estimates a letter may be sent to the property indicating we need access to our meter. Once an appointment is made we will inspect our equipment and we may replace or repair the meter and/or reading equipment. It is the owners responsibility to ensure that we have access to our meter in order to obtain accurate readings.    

Average usage is 5-7 units per person/per bi-monthly billing cycle. A minimum bill, equal to 6 units, is assessed per meter, per billing cycle. Having a meter removed will eliminate the bi-monthly minimum bill. See our list of fees for the meter removal charge that will be assessed. 

A final bill is generated at the time a property is transferred.  A special reading (any reading outside the normal reading schedule) may also be requested by the deeded owner any time there is a tenant transfer. In both cases a special read fee is assessed and added to the final bill. 

Please see the Map By Billing Section link to determine your section, then click the Billing Dates file to see when your bill is mailed, due, and the date late fees are applied to your account. 

You can pay via:

• Phone - by calling (607) 333-9675 [please have your account number available]
• Web
• Mail (PO Box 32, Warsaw, NY 14569)
• In person at 261 W. Water Street, Elmira NY.

Yes you can! You can create a profile here which will allow you the option to make a one-time payment or enroll in automatic payments using a credit, debit or checking account. For automatic withdrawals, the payment will be deducted on the due date and a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail on file. Please note that if you select a debit or credit card you will be required to update your information periodically if/when your card expires. 

If you are having difficulty paying your bill please call Customer Service at (607) 733-9179. 

An account with an outstanding balance will received a 3% penalty fee 1 day after the due date. Seven days after the penalty fee is added to your account an Interruption Notice will be mailed to you and a $10.00 Interruption Notice Fee will be added to your account. Payment must be made within 14 days in order to avoid possible interruption of service. An automated phone call is also made 7 days prior to the Interruption Notice due date. If you would like to see if this is an option for your account please contact a Customer Service Representative at (607) 733-9179. 

If your service becomes interrupted a $75.00 Interruption of Service Fee is added to your account and must be paid, along with all past due charges, before service is restored.  Payment must be made via debit, credit, cash or money order (no personal checks). Service will only be restored during business hours.