Delinquency research · dataset 2026.08

Shut-off and delinquency information for City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities – Water and Wastewater Services

Only provider-specific public findings are stated as policy. A missing field is not replaced with a rule borrowed from another utility.

Provider-specific findings

Delinquency research for this provider

The notes below may document a rule or explain a specific public-information limit. Any active notice and direct provider confirmation remain controlling.

Grace period: Richmond's current regulation defines a delinquent account as unpaid after the billing due date but establishes a staged collection timeline: the first delinquency notice is issued after 45 days past due, and a second notice warning of pending disconnection or flow restriction appears on the next bill if still unpaid. Disconnection may proceed after two delinquency bills and the second bill's due date. The City also protects customers from water disconnection during forecast temperatures at or below 25°F or at or above 92°F within 48 hours, on Fridays/weekends/City holidays or their preceding day, during emergencies, while an approved arrangement or dispute is pending, and for qualifying medical conditions.
Late-fee rules: DPU bills late/interest charges under the City's utility regulations; current public pages do not state one simple percentage in the consumer summary. The 2026 regulation allows the Director to waive residential interest for documented medical emergencies, involuntary unemployment, death or disability of a wage earner, military deployment, disaster/fire, identity theft, or a one-time financial crisis with a good payment history and arrangement commitment. Written waiver requests must be filed within 60 days, are generally limited to one per 12 months, and can be waived for up to 60 days; billing errors may also justify interest, base-fee, and penalty waivers.
Shut-off timeline: Day 0 is the printed due date. After 45 days past due, Richmond issues the first delinquency notice; if the next bill remains unpaid, the second notice warns of pending disconnection or flow restriction. Disconnection can proceed after two delinquency bills and the second bill's due date, subject to weather, medical, emergency, weekend/holiday, dispute, and payment-arrangement protections. For restoration, the customer must pay in full or make an approved arrangement: normally 10% down with the remainder over no more than 12 months, or 10% down and up to 24 months for documented financial hardship. Restoration is due within three business days after all requirements are satisfied; a third-party flow restrictor may be used before full disconnection.
Warning and notice protocol: The first delinquency notice is printed on the customer's bill after 45 days past due and includes guidance to seek payment assistance. The next delinquency bill carries the pending-disconnection or flow-restriction warning. Richmond also uses PromisePay enrollment, payment-plan outreach, bill inserts, and account communications; customers should call (804) 646-4646 immediately if a notice is received. DPU's 2026 regulation requires protections for pending disputes, active arrangements, medical hardship, severe temperatures, emergencies, and weekends/holidays, and senior accounts receive additional winter and late-fee protections.
Reconnection costs: The 2026 Richmond regulation sets a $35 water service-establishment charge for establishing service at an existing or new structure; it is separate from the balance, interest, and any field/service charges required after delinquency. Restoration requires full payment or an approved arrangement with a 10% down payment, and customers disconnected two or more times in the prior 12 months must pay the entire balance and post a deposit equal to twice the normal deposit. Service restoration is scheduled within three business days after compliance; no distinct after-hours reconnection price is published. The Director may waive the establishment charge for City error, emergency restoration, economic hardship, qualifying elderly/disabled customers, same-cycle ownership transfers, or administrative error.

Documentation context

5 of 5 fields found

This is a record-completeness measure, not a customer-protection grade.

Virginia

42%

records with any shut-off detail

National

34%

records with any shut-off detail

See the nationwide customer-protection analysis →

Research record

Broad public detail found

5 of 5 fields in this section contain provider-specific public detail in dataset August 1, 2026.

Documented

100%

Primary verification routes

City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities – Water and Wastewater Services public website ↗
Provider-controlled destination used to confirm current customer instructions.
richmond.promise-pay.com reference ↗
Public URL preserved in the compiled record. Confirm its publisher, date, and applicability before relying on it.
EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System ↗
Federal background on public water-system records and their limitations.

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