Independent U.S. water utility directory · 2026 edition
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Delinquency and service protection

Understand the shut-off process before it reaches your door

The safest time to ask about a past-due balance, payment arrangement, or hardship protection is before the final notice. This page translates the provider’s published rules into a practical checklist.

Notice and timing

How delinquency is handled

Grace period after the due date

The bill is due on or before the 16th; the penalty is assessed on the 17th. The City’s current page says a late notice is mailed to outstanding accounts, and the notice serves as the cutoff notice that must be paid by the end of the month to avoid disconnection. The ordinance also describes bills unpaid within 15 days of billing as delinquent and provides a further 10-day period after notice before service discontinuation.

Late-fee calculation

A 10% penalty is assessed on the total utility bill after the applicable due/penalty date. Returned checks, drafts, or money orders also incur the current Appendix A handling charge; the City’s code excerpt confirms an additional $25 returned-payment charge. A $50 disconnect/reconnect fee applies when service is shut off for nonpayment.

Disconnection timeline

The published sequence is: meters read on the 15th; bills mailed on the last day of the month; payment due by the 16th; 10% penalty assessed on the 17th; a late notice/cutoff notice mailed to outstanding accounts; payment must be made by the end of the month to avoid disconnection; if still unpaid, the City may disconnect after the notice and ordinance period, adding a $50 disconnect/reconnect fee. Full delinquent balance and the service fee are required before restoration.

Statutory warning protocol

What notice should you expect?

Katy mails a late notice to outstanding accounts after the penalty date, and the notice serves as the cutoff warning with the final payment deadline. The City’s ordinance requires proper notice and an opportunity for the customer to be heard regarding a billing error before authorized representatives discontinue service. The public material does not identify a text, call, colored-mailer, or door-hanger sequence.

If a notice seems wrong

Document the account balance, payment confirmation, notice date, and any household medical or accessibility concern. Then call the provider using the contact information on its official bill or profile before the stated deadline.

Restoring service

Reconnection costs and timing

The City’s current residential page publishes a $50 disconnect/reconnect fee. It does not state a separate after-hours surcharge; customers should call Utility Billing at 281-391-4801 to confirm the current restoration window and whether payment by the 24/7 line or kiosk will schedule immediate restoration. Full delinquent balance, 10% penalty, and the $50 fee are required before service is restored.

Need a payment arrangement?

Ask before the shut-off date

Tell the customer-service representative that you are responding to a delinquency notice and ask specifically about installment plans, hardship protection, charity referrals, and the amount required to stop the disconnection order.

Customer protection guide

What to do when a bill becomes urgent

A delinquency notice from City of Katy Utility Billing / Water Department should be treated as a time-sensitive account document. Read the exact due date, amount required, notice method, and contact instructions on the notice, then compare them with the provider details in this guide.

If you have already paid, gather the confirmation number and posting date. If you cannot pay the full amount, call before the stated shut-off date and ask about arrangements, hardship protections, agency referrals, and the minimum amount needed to pause action.

Keep the conversation specific: ask what will stop the order, when the payment must post, whether a reconnection fee applies, and whether the utility requires a separate request for medical, accessibility, or household-protection status.