Charleston Water System To Resume Non-Pay Shut-Offs August 17
Charleston Water System (CWS) will resume non-pay shut-offs August 17. CWS paused non-pay service disconnections at South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s request March 14 and voluntarily extended this moratorium after the governor allowed the resumption of normal operations May 13. The utility offers an array of account management and bill pay options and has increased its funding for bill pay assistance to support customers most in need.
“Pausing non-pay shut-offs was an immediate and effective way to help our customers as we all began navigating this pandemic together,” said Kin Hill, CEO at CWS. “The services we provide remain critical in the fight against Coronavirus and we’re committed to helping our customers through collaboration and additional financial support.”
CWS customers currently in jeopardy of being shut off beginning on Aug. 17 will be notified by mail at least 30 days prior to any service disconnection. This letter will outline various ways that customers can work with the utility to manage their account and avoid service termination, including 10-day bill extensions, payment plans spanning up to 12 months, and a list of numerous options for bill pay assistance.
To help CWS customers pay their bills, the utility doubled its monthly contribution to the Palmetto Community Action Partnership (PCAP) from $5,000 to $10,000 from June through December. They also made an additional donation of $50,000 to PCAP earmarked specifically for CWS customer assistance.
CWS customers facing challenges with their bills can discuss their account options Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. by calling the utility at (843) 727-6800. They can also visit branch offices located at 103 St. Philip St., Charleston, SC 29403 and 6296 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, SC 29418.
“We want to help every one of our customers who may be having difficulty managing their account or paying their bill,” said Evelyn Ferguson, director of customer service at CWS. “Any customer concerned about their account status should call us ASAP, long before they may be in jeopardy of having their services shut off.”
