Notice and timing
How delinquency is handled
Grace period after the due date
MWS's current bill explainer says payment must be posted within 20 days of the bill date to avoid a late-payment charge; accounts overdue more than 20 days are subject to disconnection. The net bill becomes a gross bill after that 20-day period, so the practical grace period is 20 days from the billing date rather than a separate number of days after the printed due date.
Late-fee calculation
The gross-bill penalty is the greater of $2.50 or 5% of the current net bill. The charge becomes applicable 20 days after the bill is mailed/dated. A $30 returned-payment fee applies to an NSF or returned payment, and a $15 Notifies fee may be assessed for the disconnection-notification work order. MWS states that any account due before a leak adjustment is processed should still be paid in full to avoid late charges; a later approved credit is applied to the account.
Disconnection timeline
The current bill guide states that an account overdue more than 20 days is subject to disconnection. MWS's official billing-and-collection disclosure describes the detailed progression: the first monthly bill becomes gross after 20 days; if unpaid, a delinquency notice is included with the subsequent month's bill; if the bill remains delinquent a second time, an MWS representative gives notice under Tennessee Code Annotated Section 65-32-104 that service will be discontinued if payment is not received within five days; after that five-day notice period, water and sewer service can be disconnected immediately. The customer must then pay the full delinquent amount and reconnection charge, and an uncollectible account may be referred to a commercial collection agency. Emergency conditions, approved extensions, and agency-specific hardship arrangements can change the sequence.