Frequently asked questions:

Q. How could my bill be higher if I was gone during the hurricane?
A. Your last month bill may have been estimated and the reading reflected on this bill may reflect usage for more than one month. You may have two estimated bills if there was debris covering your meter and it may not reflect your actual usage. (If your bill was estimated it will indicate so on the top right hand portion of your bill.) Another reason your bill may appear higher is that the particular bill you are reviewing does not include the dates effected by the hurricane. Please review the dates of service indicated on your bill. If your bill is substantially more than your average bill, you may have had damage from hurricane Rita which caused a plumbing leak.

Q. Why was my bill estimated?
A. During the evacuation and recovery from Rita, meter readers were not available to take readings. Once they returned to work and the conditions were safe for them to do so, meter reading resumed. The meters still covered by debris continue to be estimated. Once the meters have been uncovered, the accurate reading will be retrieved and any usage that was billed for and not registered will be adjusted.

Q. My plumbing lines were broken due to damage from hurricane Rita, can I get an adjustment?
A. If you have repaired plumbing, you can apply for a leak repair adjustment by filling out and returning an application for consideration. Click Here to download a leak repair adjustment form. Be sure to include your documentation of repair.

Q. Will I be responsible for excess water usage due to plumbing leaks when the house has been destroyed and the leak cannot immediately be repaired?
A. These instances are being reviewed on an individual basis. Please submit your request for consideration in writing to City of Beaumont, Customer Service Division, P.O. Box 3827, Beaumont, TX 77704 and attach any substantiating evidence for review.

Q. Will I get an adjustment for the water I did not use during evacuation?
A. Water and sewer services are billed as a metered service. The meter does not register if there is no usage. Services are not billed as a flat rate by day.

Q. Why did I get a disconnection notice?
A. Disruption of mail service delayed posting of payments and the receipt of bills. If you have mailed your payment and your bill does not show that it has been paid, it is likely that the payment and bill “crossed in the mail”. (Send us an email at the address shown below to make sure we received your payment.) If you received a “red” disconnection notice because of this and you have verified that your balance is current, please disregard it. Your service will not be disconnected. Billing criteria for delinquent processing applied to any account with a beginning balance brought forward and regretfully impacted those that, without the effects of “Rita”, would otherwise not have received this type of bill. There were no disconnections of service for anyone during the month of October and late fees were eliminated for the October and November billing.

The Customer Service phone number is (409) 866-0023. Due to a high volume of calls, our customer service lines may be busy. We apologize if you are unable to reach us by telephone to assist you in a timely manner. You can also contact us by sending an email to watercustomerservice@ci.beaumont.tx.us    if you have a specific question about your account. Please include your name, address and phone number. If you have your account number, please include it, but it’s OK if you don’t have that handy.