How to get help with your Boston water and sewer bill
If you're behind on a water and sewer bill in Boston, or a shut-off notice has come in the mail, the place to start is the Boston Water and Sewer Commission itself. In Boston, water and sewer come on one combined bill from BWSC, and the company runs the main forms of help — discounts, payment plans, and protections that can keep your service on while you catch up. This page covers what BWSC offers, the protections you have as a homeowner or a renter, and where to turn when you need outside help.
It's worth being straight about one thing first: water bills work differently than heating bills. There's no broad government program for water the way there is for heat, so most of the real help comes from the water company, and for one-time emergencies, from local charities.
The senior and disabled discount
The largest ongoing discount BWSC offers is for older and disabled homeowners. If you're 65 or older, or fully disabled, and you own and live in a one-to-four-family home, you qualify for a discount on your monthly bill. The discount comes off the entire bill — the water, sewer, and stormwater charges together — and BWSC sets the current rate, so ask what it is when you apply.
It's for owner-occupied homes only. Condo units and commercial properties don't qualify. A home held in a trust can still be eligible if you're both a trustee and a beneficiary and you provide the recorded trust document.
To apply, you fill out the Discount Form, which you can download, pick up at the BWSC office, or complete and sign securely online. You'll need proof of age — a birth certificate, driver's license, or MBTA senior pass all work — along with proof of income. If you're applying as a disabled person, bring a Social Security award letter or a doctor's note. The form and full instructions are at https://www.bwsc.org/residential-customers/billing-info-and-assistance, the Commission's residential billing and assistance page.
Payment plans and avoiding a shut-off
If you're not a senior but you've fallen behind, the first call is to the BWSC Collections Department at 617-989-7070. They can set up a payment plan that spreads what you owe over time instead of asking for it all at once. These plans come with conditions — you'll need to meet income guidelines and keep up with the installments, since missing a scheduled payment can put your service back at risk. They're meant to give you time to get back on your feet, not to run forever.
There are also protections that can delay a shut-off in specific situations. If you own and live in your home and you or a close family member is seriously ill, and that illness has caused a documented financial hardship, BWSC may hold off on ending service. The same is true for a home occupied entirely by people over 65 with a documented hardship. For senior-occupied homes, that hardship certificate has to be renewed every month, so keeping it active means staying in regular contact with the Collections Department.
If you rent and the bill is in the landlord's name
Renters in Boston have a protection worth knowing. You are not responsible for a landlord's unpaid water bill. And if a landlord lets the building's bill go unpaid and the water is heading toward shut-off, you aren't stuck — a tenant, or a group of tenants together, can pay a 30-day projected bill for the building to keep the water on, as long as you can show you live there with something like a driver's license or a utility bill. That keeps your water running even when the property owner hasn't paid.
Where government and charity help fit in
Here's the honest picture on outside help. Unlike heating bills, water bills aren't covered by a large state or federal assistance program. The federal pandemic-era water program has ended, and Massachusetts doesn't run a standing water-bill fund the way it does for home heating. So when BWSC's own programs aren't enough, the next stop is usually a local charity that handles one-time emergencies.
Groups like the Salvation Army, along with parish and community aid funds, will sometimes put money toward a utility or water bill for a household in crisis, though help is limited and never guaranteed. You can look into the NHPB Salvation Army emergency assistance across Massachusetts page to see what's offered locally. Dialing 211 — a free statewide referral line — is the fastest way to find which agencies near you have funds available right now.
For a wider look at how water-bill help works and the kinds of programs that exist, there's a rundown of national water bill assistance options.
Help with a major sewer line repair
One more BWSC program is worth flagging for homeowners, because a broken sewer line is one of the most expensive surprises a home can throw at you. The pipe that runs from your house to the city sewer main — the sewer lateral — is yours to fix if it's blocked, collapsed, or leaking, and that repair can run into the thousands. The BWSC Sewer Lateral Financial Assistance Program can reimburse part of the cost with a one-time grant, available once in any ten-year period, for owners who qualify and follow the program's steps. If you're facing this, call BWSC Operations at 617-989-7900 before you start the work, since approval has to come first.
How to apply and who to call
For the senior or disabled discount and general billing questions, BWSC Customer Service is at 617-989-7800. For payment plans, hardship situations, or anything involving a shut-off, call the Collections Department at 617-989-7070. The main office is at 980 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02119, open weekdays, and most forms can also be handled online and website is https://www.bwsc.org/.
One small way to keep costs down: paying your bill with a credit or debit card adds a third-party convenience fee, while paying by electronic check, by mail with a check, or in person with cash avoids it. Over a year, that difference adds up.
If you're dealing with several overdue bills at once, it helps to look at the full picture rather than tackling them one at a time — there's a broader list of emergency assistance programs in the Boston and Suffolk County area.
NeedHelpPayingBills.com is not affiliated with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, the Salvation Army, or any government agency. Program details, discounts, and eligibility rules change over time, so confirm the current information with BWSC at 617-989-7800 before you apply or rely on it.
Related Content From Needhelppayingbills.com
|
Need help navigating programs?