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

17 days after the bill is mailed or issued, according to the Citizens water and CWA wastewater tariff appendices. A bill remaining unpaid beyond that period is considered delinquent and subject to the late-payment charge.

Late-fee calculation

The published Citizens/CWA tariff formula is 10% of the first $3.00 of water or wastewater service charges plus 3% of the amount above $3.00 after the 17-day period. A delinquent-account collection visit can add a $14 trip charge. Returned-check charges are listed in the applicable tariff appendices; the current legacy Citizens water appendix shows $11 per returned check, while the customer-facing payment pages direct customers to current account-specific terms.

Disconnection timeline

After the bill is delinquent beyond 17 days, Citizens/CWA terms require at least 14 days' prior written notice to a residential customer by mail or personal delivery before nonpayment disconnection. Disconnection for nonpayment is scheduled between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a day the office or call center is open, and before noon on the day immediately preceding a closure day. A customer can avoid or challenge disconnection by paying undisputed charges, arranging a written payment plan, or using the state winter-assistance protections. After the cause is corrected, arrears and any required deposit/reconnection charge are paid, and a responsible adult is present with water outlets closed, Citizens' tariff terms require reconnection as soon as reasonably possible and no later than one working day after the request.

Statutory warning protocol

What notice should you expect?

The Citizens water and wastewater terms require a written residential notice at least 14 days before a nonpayment disconnection, delivered by mail to the service address or personally delivered. Customers also receive or may enable My Account digital alerts for disconnect notices, pending service orders, new bills, due dates, posted payments, and missed payments. Indiana's Energy Assistance Program application can protect eligible applicants from winter utility shutoff during the December 1–March 15 moratorium when proof of application or approval is submitted to Citizens. Citizens warns customers not to trust immediate payment demands by phone, text, or at the door.

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

Citizens' published water tariff lists a $25 water reconnection charge after service is discontinued, while the current CWA Authority wastewater Appendix A lists a $44 wastewater reconnection charge per meter/customer, in addition to arrears and other required conditions. No separate after-hours fee is published. The water terms require reconnection within one working day after all conditions are satisfied; the current customer-service/emergency number is 317-924-3311.

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 Citizens Energy Group – Citizens Water and CWA Authority, Inc. (Indianapolis Water and Wastewater) 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.

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