Utility Bills & Rates | Payment Plans
Water and Sewer Rates for In-Town Residents:
Water: $73.05/13,500 gallons (minimum billing) plus $6.25 for each additional 1,000 gallons, per quarter
Sewer, determined by Cecil County: $122.85/9,000 gallons (minimum billing) plus $13.65 for each additional 1,000 gallons, per quarter
State Bay Restoration Fee, determined by the State of Maryland: $15.00 per quarter
Water Rates for Out-Of-Town Residents: $116.35/13,500 gallons (minimum billing) plus $6.90 for each additional 1,000 gallons, per quarter
The County no longer provides sewer credit for a pool fill.
For information about the State Bay Restoration Fee, please refer to the Comptroller of Maryland’s website and the Maryland Department of the Environment website.
Billing and Shut-Off Procedures:
Most residents are billed for Town water and sewer. If you live in Trinity Woods or Charlestown Manor, you will receive a bill from the Town for water and a bill from the County for sewer. Utility Bills are mailed out quarterly within the first 7-10 days of the months of January, April, July and October, and are due 30 days from the billing date (not the date you receive them in the mail). If you do not receive your bill by the 15th of the month of the quarter indicated, please contact Town Hall for a duplicate bill.
Quarterly bills not paid by the due date are assessed a 5% penalty fee on the full balance owed, and if not paid within two weeks after the due date, water service will be shut-off. If shut-off occurs, a $50 Shut-Off fee will be assessed, and in order for service to be restored, the current account balance must be paid in full.
Want to go paperless? We can email a copy of your utility bill to you as soon as bills are finalized. Contact us at (410) 287-6173 or via email at staff@charlestownmd.org to update your account.
Other Fees:
Meter Reading Fee: (for settlements, etc.) $25.00
Shut Off/Turn On Fee: $50.00
NSF (Returned Check) Fee: $35.00
Payment Plan Late Fee: $25.00
Meter Lock Replacement Fee: $50.00
Credit Card Processing Fee (for online payments): $2.00
In Need of Assistance?
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program:
The State of Maryland Department of Human Services has a program that provides financial relief toward water and sewer bills. Eligible households may receive up to $2,000. LIHWAP funding is limited and applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Review the below links for more information and ways to apply.
Department of Human Services – LIHWAP Website
Flyer | Paper Application | FAQ’s
Payment Plans:
If you are experiencing a hardship in paying your utility bill, we have a payment plan option that may benefit your needs. Payment plans are available for 3-12 month terms and balances of $300+, and ensure no additional late fees are added to your account, as long as you make payments on-time. Since plans are setup for a fixed outstanding balance, charges for future utility bills are still required to be paid by the due date or the payment plan will be considered in default. If for some reason you are unable to make a payment, regardless of if you have an active payment plan or not, please contact us and we will do what we can to help.
To setup a plan, we require a deposit of $210.90 (the minimum quarterly rate). However, the higher the deposit amount, the lower your monthly payments will be, as the deposit goes directly towards your outstanding balance. We also require an agreement be signed and the following guidelines be followed:
- Payment Plans ensure no additional penalties will be added to the account, as long as the resident makes payments on-time.
- Residents will be expected to pay all current charges for future bills when they are due or the payment plan will be considered in default. Plans in default will be assessed a $25 Late Fee, and will be voided if payment is not received within 30 days of the due date.
- Plans in default more than 30 days require the current account balance be paid in full, within seven calendar days, to avoid a $50 Shut Off Fee and water shut-off.
- If the property transfers before the payment plan is paid off, payment in full is due at the time of transfer.
*Please note that the guidelines can change at any time. Residents with active payment plans will be notified of changes via mail.
For more information, please contact Mary Culver at (410) 287-6173, ext 4, or via email at mculver@charlestownmd.org. Don’t wait, call today!