Mayor Sylvester Turner today announced the city of Houston will not charge late fees on all residential water bill payments from September 19 – Nov. 1, 2019 to assist those who may have been affected by Tropical Storm Imelda.
Penalties on late water bill payments will resume on Nov. 2 in accordance with standard practice.
The mayor’s decision to waive late fees provides relief to Houstonians recovering from flood damage and recognizes that some water bills and bill payments may be delayed due to the Aldine Westfield Post Office roof collapse on Thursday, September 19 and it will be a while until Burlington roofing contractors make the necessary roof replacement. All incoming mail for Houston is sorted at the Aldine Westfield Post Office, and some water bills or payments may have been damaged, lost or delayed.
“Through the city’s assessment process following Imelda, we know that more than one thousand homes and businesses were damaged to some extent following the storm,” Mayor Turner said. “I want people to focus on recovery and not worry about late fees or wonder if their bill payment was delayed or lost in the mail.”
Extending the due date of water bills for Houston Water customers allows our community time to make sure a payment is received before Nov. 1, 2019, according to Houston Public Works Director Carol Haddock, P.E.