SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Water System will resume water shutoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
SAWS announced Friday that the moratorium on shutting off customers’ water due to lack of payment will end after a year and a half.
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There is some good news, however, SAWS officials said most accounts with delinquent balances have been automatically enrolled in four-year payment plans.
If the customers enrolled in those payment plans make 18 months of payments, plus their current bill, SAWS will write off the rest of the overdue balance.
If you’re currently past due on your SAWS bill - the utility has set up two online options for either setting up a payment plan or applying for financial assistance.
“The last thing we want is to add hardships to families that are struggling, so it’s crucial they contact us if they’re at risk of disconnection.,” said vice president of Customer Experience and Strategic Initiatives Mary Bailey. “Customers enrolled in payment plans will not have their service cut off.”
If you set up a payment plan, you will be required to pay the payment arrangement amount in addition to your current monthly charges.
SAWS initially paused service shutoffs due to non-payment at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March of 2020.
At the start of the pandemic, roughly 5,000 accounts were delinquent. That number ballooned to more than 65,000 as of September 2021.
If you think you may qualify for one of the SAWS need-based assistance programs visit saws.org/uplift or call 210-233-CARE (2273). Payment arrangements and assistance information can also be found on saws.org/getcurrent.