Notice and timing
How delinquency is handled
Grace period after the due date
Thirty days from the invoice date is the ordinary payment period shown in Buffalo Water’s current delinquency notice protocol. The second notice is issued 31 days after the original bill date, and the third notice is issued 61 days after that date with 15 days to pay or arrange payment. This is a billing deadline sequence, not a promise that late interest will never accrue during the period.
Late-fee calculation
The Buffalo Water Board rules identify late interest of 4.5% during the first 30 days after the due date and 1.5% for each succeeding month; the current code/rules also describe quarterly delinquency treatment for metered bills, so the invoice and account type control the exact posting date. Returned payments can incur an NSF charge equal to the bank charge. Current account holders should use the invoice and customer-service office for the operative calculation because the Water Board posts a current rate-and-fee schedule separately from its older rules document.
Disconnection timeline
The published residential/commercial sequence is: day 0, the initial invoice for the prior 30-to-90-day consumption period is issued and is due 30 days after the bill date; day 31, Buffalo Water sends a second notice with another 30-day payment period; day 61, it sends a third notice giving 15 days to pay or make arrangements; after that final period, service may be interrupted, approximately day 76 or later depending on processing and account circumstances. Arrangements can be made at 281 Exchange Street. Delinquent bills may become liens on the property and can remain the property owner’s responsibility.