21.16.040 Delinquent Utility Bills.

City Code Section
  1. A.  When any charge is more than 10 days late, the Portland Water Bureau may shut off service.
  2. B.  The Portland Water Bureau gives written notice to the service address before shutting water off for nonpayment. The notice shows the planned shutoff date.
  3. The notice also includes information about the property owner, tenant, or ratepayer’s right to challenge the shutoff through an administrative review process.
  4. C.  The property owner, tenant, or ratepayer must make sure the Portland Water Bureau has their current and most accurate billing address. The Portland Water Bureau is not responsible for checking addresses.
  5. D.  The Portland Water Bureau may turn water back on if one of the following conditions has been met:
    1. 1.  All outstanding charges have been paid.
    2. 2.  Payment arrangements (online, by phone, by email, in person or by mail) have been made with the Portland Water Bureau.
  6. E.  When the Portland Water Bureau shuts off or turns on water, it adds charges to the water account as specified in the Annual Rates Ordinance.
  7. F.  The Portland Water Bureau may postpone shutoff when:
    1. 1.  Lack of water endangers health or cause substantial hardship. The Portland Water Bureau may decide to continue water service for a specified amount of time.
    2. 2.  A written payment arrangement for all delinquent amounts has been accepted by the Portland Water Bureau.
  8. G.  If payments are not made as agreed in the payment arrangement, the Portland Water Bureau may shut off water and not turn it on again until charges are paid in full.
  9. H.  The Portland Water Bureau may institute legal proceedings and may work with collection agencies to collect delinquent charges.
  10. I.  The Portland Water Bureau collects delinquent sanitary sewer and stormwater management charges in the same ways it collects delinquent water charges consistent with the City’s debt collection policies.
  11. J.  If the delinquent bill does not include water charges, the City may collect the funds in the ways described in Portland City Code Sections 3.24.020 and 3.24.030.

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