Attention – The District’s Board of Commissioners adopted new Utility Billing Fines and Fees, effective January 1.
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FAQs
Billing
Can I change the due date on my bill?
Unfortunately, no, our district is divided into eight different meter reading route cycles with eight different billing cycles. Billing and due dates are based on the meter reading route your home is located in.
What is the service charge that appears on my first bill?
Initial bills include a one-time Service Charge of $15.00 for setting up a new account or for an account name change when there is a change in occupancy.
How much notice do you need to set up water service?
If water service needs to be restored, please allow 2-3 business days for a water meter to be unlocked. If it is a change in occupancy please see Starting/Stopping Service for further details.
Why is my water bill higher than normal?
If your water bill increased suddenly and you cannot think of any obvious reasons for the spike in water usage, such as frequent watering of your lawn, houseguests for an extended period of time, a leaking faucet, filling a pool, pressure washing, etc., you may have a less obvious leak somewhere in or around your home. Please refer to My Water Meter or Find Leaks or you may contact a customer service representative at 425-787-0220 for more troubleshooting ideas.
Is my meter actually read or is it estimated?
Your meter is read using a computerized hand-held device. Utility Billing may find a need to estimate readings if meters are inaccessible due to severe weather conditions.
How is consumption measured for my bill?
Consumption is measured in Centum Cubic Feet (CCF). 1 CCF of water is equal to 748 gallons of water.
Why am I getting a bill from both Alderwood Water & Wastewater District and King County when I live in Snohomish County?
The sewer charges you pay to Alderwood Water & Wastewater District (AWWD) pay for the treatment and disposal of the sewage, maintenance of the existing sewer system, which includes transmission lines and treatment facilities, and ensures that future infrastructure needs are met as the District grows. While we do have our own treatment facility located at Picnic Point, only about 25% of all AWWD sewage can be gravity fed to this facility. Due to topography, the majority of AWWD’s sewage is gravity fed into King County for treatment at its facilities.
King County in return charges AWWD monthly for this treatment and disposal of sewage. With all the growth in North King County and South Snohomish County a new sewer treatment plant needed to be built. The charge for this plant is being distributed to new homes being built in the area. The capacity charge ensures that “growth pays for growth”. If you have any questions on the King County Capacity charge, call 206-296-1450 or TTY Relay 777.
Can I temporarily suspend my water and sewer service for an extended period?
The District allows customers to temporarily suspend the minimum monthly charges for water and sewer service, if requested by a customer in advance of an absence (irrigation meters and sewer only accounts are not eligible). Generally, this is cost effective only if you will be away from the property longer than one month. At your request, the District will lock off your water meter, which will suspend the minimum charges for water/sewer service. There is a lock fee which will be added to the account when the meter is locked.
When service is needed again, a minimum of a 3-business day advanced notice is required to have the meter unlocked for your return. An unlock meter fee and an account set-up fee will be added to the account, when service is restored. Please contact the Billing department at (425) 787-0220 to speak to a customer service representative to inquire on these fees and to schedule your meter to be locked or unlocked. Request to suspend service must be done in advance of the absence and will not be applied retroactively to an account.
When can I expect my utility bill?
Residential and commercial accounts are billed once every two months. Bills are due 21 days after the billing date.
What delinquent notice will I get before my service is disconnected?
Customers typically get four mailed notices prior to a service being shut-off for nonpayment. The first notice is the customer’s utility bill. The second notice is a past due letter, which is mailed 14 days after the due date and includes a 10% late fee. The third notice is the next bi-monthly utility bill which will reflect the previous unpaid balance.
The final notice is a disconnect notice which is mailed one week after the second utility billing. Accounts that have not been paid by the due date of the second utility bill (that shows a previous unpaid balance) will be disconnected for non- payment.
Who pays the Alderwood Water & Wastewater Bill?
The District will bill the owner/landlord directly. However, a tenant, property manager or another 3rd party may sign up for online account access through our website. Please ask the property owner to give you the account number and you can then add that account number to your account profile. From there you may view bills, sign up for ebilling and schedule payments, regardless of the name appearing on the account.
NOTE: Please remember to stop your ebilling and /or pre-scheduled autopay payments when you move out or you will continue to receive the ebill notifications and/or payments will continue to be withdrawn from your bank account.
How do I request a final bill if I am moving out of my rental?
The District does not bill a tenant directly, we do not provide final bills. There is an average daily rate included on each bill, below the Total Amount Due, to help with prorating charges past the last meter reading date to the date of move out. If you need assistance with prorating, please contact your landlord for assistance.
If your landlord has questions please have them contact us at Help@awwd.com or by phone (425) 787-0220.
For more information on Billing and Rental Properties, please visit our Rental Properties page.
How do I request a final bill if have sold my property?
We do require notification of sales in writing, per RCW 60.80.020. In most cases, the Escrow Agent will notify us of the sale and request a final bill on your behalf. You can ask your agent if they will be requesting the final bill and if not, the easiest way for you to notify us and request the final bill is to email Help@awwd.com. Please include your account number, service address, your name, phone number, the closing date of the sale, your forwarding address and the buyer’s name if available.
Why do I have a Franchise Fee on my bill?
The Franchise Fee that you are seeing on your bill is a result of the Franchise Agreement that the District has with the city that you live in. Franchised utilities are providing a utility not provided by the city. These agreements between cities and utility providers allows the utility provider to work within the public right of way in a city boundary, to construct, repair and maintain the utilities such as water/sewer mains.
Typically, agreements include a stipulation to recoup the cost of utilities using this public space by way of a Franchise Fee. Another way to look at it is the fee is like paying rent for the use of the public rights of way.
The District currently has Franchise Agreements with the cities of Bothell, Brier, and Mukilteo.
What is sewer averaging? Why does it matter?
During the summer, when many customers use water outdoors (for irrigating gardens, washing the car, etc.), much of the water used does not enter the sewer system. During the winter, however, when far fewer customers use water outdoors, we assume that nearly all the water used by our Single Family customers does enter our sewer system. Since the amount of water sent to the sewer system (from indoor water use) probably doesn’t change from season to season, the District believes it is fair to bill for sewer service in the summer based on the average metered water use during the two winter billing periods.
Service Related
Why is my water off?
Although service interruptions are rare, they can be caused by water main breaks, nonpayment of bills and during extended periods of sub-freezing temperatures, frozen pipes or frozen water meters. Please call us at (425) 787-0220 to talk to a customer service representative if you are without water. Our after hours emergency phone number is (425) 787-0250.
How do I know if I have a leak?
Visit our How to Find Leaks for more information on how to detect a leak.
I have found a leak, what do I do now?
As the homeowner you are responsible for locating and repairing the leak. You may be eligible for a leak adjustment. You can download AWWD’s Leak Adjustment Application Form. Please read the first page of the application form carefully.
Who should I call if I need my water shut off?
If you have a leak, or need to turn off your water for projects or repairs, there should be a shut-off valve on your plumbing system. If you cannot locate this valve or do not have one, you can turn the water off at the meter valve. Your meter box will typically be located near the street side of your property line in a cement box at ground level.
The shut off valve should have an arrow pointing towards your property if the water is on; turn the valve away from your water property to turn off the water. Please contact our maintenance department at 425-787-0250 if you need further assistance.
Who do I contact before I dig?
Before you dig, please dial 811 locally or 1-800-424-5555 for underground utility locates.
Is there repair assistance for disabled persons or senior citizens that have a water leak?
Homage of Snohomish County offers multiple assistance services, including but not limited to home repairs.
Online: Homage
Phone: (425) 513-1900 or toll free (800) 422-2024
Email: seniorinfo@homage.org
Water Quality
Why does my water taste or smell like plastic?
Tastes and odors in water can be a result of many different factors. Water can pick up tastes and odors from new plumbing or fixtures, from low usage in the water system or from added chlorine reacting with organics normally found in drinking water.
Why does my water taste metallic?
A common cause of funny-tasting water in the summer is a water hose that is left running behind a stopped nozzle. If the hose gets hot, the heated water inside will expand and mix with your drinking water, giving it a metallic flavor. To prevent or remedy this, we would recommend you flush the back outdoor faucet to freshen up the water in the interior of the home and turn the water off at the outdoor faucet.
Payment
Can I pay my bill or schedule a payment online?
You can make a one-time payment, schedule a future payment or setup for autopay online, through our customer payment portal. You may also make one-time payments by phone with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check. Payments are processed by Paymentus Corporation which is a third party automated payment service. To make a payment online select View/Pay Bill from our home page or call 866-899-1313 to make a payment by phone. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, e-checks, Venmo, Paypal, and Amazon Pay are accepted.
I am having a problem paying my bill; do you have any assistance programs?
The District offers Senior Citizen & Permanent Disabled Low-Income Discount Programs. Please contact our Billing Department at (425) 787-0220 for help to determine if you qualify.
The following are community resources that assist with utility payments:
United Way Essential Services or call 211 or (800) 223-8145, available 24/7
St. Vincent de Paul Society or call (425) 355-3504 M-F 10am-4pm
Providence Institute for a Healthier Community for a list of community resources
Or contact your local church.
You may also contact our Billing Department to see if you qualify for a payment arrangement, which requires a signature from the property owner.
How do I register for online account access?
Registering for online account access at www.awwd.com
1. On the home page, click on Account Login on the right.
2. Underneath the password field, look for a blue link that says Register Now.
3. Once you follow that link, fill out the information; password is alpha numeric, so letters and numbers only, no special characters.
4. Once the profile is set up, you can add the account number, which is 10 digits without the dash.
5. Make sure to turn Paperless ON, so that you receive email notifications. If you do not turn paperless on, you will have access to the account, but no bills will be sent.
6. Click the box to agree to the terms and then click the button at the bottom to add the account. You are all set up!
How do I add Autopay/Scheduled Payments?
Adding Autopay/Scheduled Payments
You must first register for online account access through our website and add your account number to your profile before adding autopay.
1. Log in to your account and select My Wallet (left-side menu). Select Add Payment Method at the bottom o fthe window. Select your preferred method of payment (Debit/Credit card, eCheck, Digital Wallet options) and fill out the requested information. Click ADD to save your record. You should now see the payment method added to the screen that you just created.
2. Select Autopay (left-side menu); click Add Schedule at the bottom of the screen; select the account number and click Continue. Or you may also select the Autopay button from your account profiled under the Accounts menu.
3. Select the payment method and click Continue.
4. The frequency is set to “Bill amount on the due date.” This guarantees the full amount of your bill gets paid on the due date and eliminates late fees. Late fees will not be waived for incorrectly setting up autopay.
5. Do NOT enter a Stop Service Date if you want autopay to continue. Only add a date if you want autopay set up on a temporary basis.
6. Click the boxes to agree to the terms and click Create Autopay. You will now see the Schedule Created information on your screen.
If your Due Date is today or has already passed, YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A PAYMENT MANUALLY and autopay will start with your NEXT bill.
PLEASE remember to cancel your autopay if you move out or sell your property or payments will continue to be paid through autopay. Autopay does not automatically stop, and overpayments will not be refunded on rental properties. Refunds will need to be worked out between the property owner and renter.
How do I remove Autopay?
Click on AutoPay (left-side menu), Edit Schedule and Remove Schedule. You will be asked to Please confirm removal of the schedule.
How do I update my credit/debit card information?
Log in to your AWWD online portal and go to My Wallet.
If you do not see any icons on the left side of your screen, expand the menu by selecting the three lines on the upper left corner.
First remove your old payment method by clicking on “Edit.”
Select “Remove Payment Method” at the bottom of the screen.
Then select “Add Payment Method.”
If you had Autopay set up previously, deleting the old payment method also cancels your Autopay. Once you have the new payment saved in your wallet, you can re-establish autopay by going to the Autopay icon.