Moving? How to Start, Stop, or Transfer Water Service Without Surprises

First, find out who provides water at the new address

Water service is local, and the provider is not always the city. It might be a county, a utility district, a private water company, or a homeowners association. The same street can even fall under different providers. Ask the landlord, the seller, or the property manager, or search the address on the city’s website.

Our directory lists thousands of utilities by state, with their official websites and contact details. Once you know the provider, use only its official site or phone number to start service.

Give enough notice

Start the request at least a week before you move if you can. Some utilities need a few business days to process requests or send a crew. Phoenix, for example, says a minimum of three business days is required for all start, stop, and transfer requests.

Make two requests if you are moving between addresses: stop service at the old address on your move-out date, and start it at the new address on your move-in date. If both addresses are with the same utility, ask for a transfer.

What you may need to start service

Requirements vary, but these are common. San Antonio Water System, for example, asks new residential customers for the property address, a valid driver’s license or Texas ID, a phone number, a mailing address, and date of birth. It also says a deposit is required for new residential service.

• Government-issued photo ID
• The service address and your move-in date
• A lease or deed, especially if you are a tenant
• A mailing address if different from the service address
• A phone number and email address
• A payment method for any fee or deposit

Fees and deposits, and how to avoid them

Many utilities charge a fee to set up an account and ask for a security deposit from new customers. The City of Austin’s utility, which bills water along with electric and other services, lists a $20 fee to start water or electric service and a $200 deposit for new residential service.

Austin also shows how deposits can be waived. Among other options, it accepts a letter of reference from your current electric, gas, or water utility. The letter must show no late payments and no disconnections for nonpayment during the last 12 consecutive billing cycles. Austin also refunds the deposit after a customer pays on time for 12 consecutive billing cycles. Ask your new utility whether it has similar rules before you pay.

Stopping service and the final bill

When you stop service, ask for a final meter reading on your move-out date. Write down the date and the reading, and take a photo of the meter if you can see it safely. This protects you if the next occupant’s use is billed to you by mistake.

Give the utility a forwarding address or email for the final bill. The final bill usually covers usage from the last regular reading to the final reading, plus any fixed charges for that partial period. If you paid a deposit, ask how and when it will be returned, or whether it will be applied to the final bill.

If you are buying or selling a home

Unpaid water bills can follow a property in some places. Philadelphia says delinquent water and sewer bills can become a lien, and if the lien is not resolved, the new owner is responsible for the debt. Ask your title company to check for water liens before closing.

In a 2018 post, Philadelphia said the existing water account is usually switched into the buyer’s name through the title company, and it can take about a month to see the first bill. Other utilities require the buyer to open a new account. Ask the utility how it handles a sale, and confirm a final reading for the seller on the closing date.

If you are renting

Find out whether water is in your name, the landlord’s name, or included in rent. If it is in your name, you start and stop service like an owner. If it stays in the landlord’s name, ask how you will be billed and whether you can see the bill.

Some utilities hold the owner responsible even when a tenant pays. Denver Water’s landlord-tenant policy says landlords are ultimately responsible for charges on the account. It will bill tenants who are added to the account, but it does not prorate bills, so landlords and tenants must split partial months themselves. In Philadelphia, a tenant who wants the account in their name needs written consent from the owner. Our renters guide explains submetering and allocated billing.

Moving-day checklist

Use this list in the week before and after your move.

• Confirm the water provider for the new address.
• Request start service for move-in day and stop service for move-out day.
• Ask about fees, deposits, and deposit waivers.
• Take a dated photo of the meter at both addresses, if it can be seen safely.
• Give a forwarding address for the final bill.
• Check the first bill at the new address for the right start date and reading.
• Set up online access and payment only through the utility’s official site.