The City provides water, wastewater, and trash collection services to its residents. The following is a brief summary of our billing policies and rates for all persons obtaining water, wastewater, and trash collection services from the City of Keene.
Quick Billing Information
Important billing dates include:
- Billing date: 20th of each month
- For an extension to your utility bill, please fill an Extension Request Form.
- Bill due date: 7th of each month
Visit our Utility Billing Payments page or view the Service Rates for more information regarding billing.
To start water, wastewater and trash collection services, present a completed New Service Application, along with a government issued picture ID and the security deposit at City Hall. Renters should bring a copy of their lease or rental agreement or if you own Proof of Ownership.
The water meter and the contents of the water meter box is property of the City of Keene. Only city personnel is authorized to access this box and turn on water service.
Note: By City Ordinance it is unlawful for any person, other than an employee of the City of Keene Water Department, acting on behalf of the City, to engage, disengage, or otherwise tamper with any water meter.
The Utility Billing Process
In an effort to keep residents informed, the following is information on how City staff process payments, fees, and water cutoffs.
Late Fees:
Payments must be received in the office by 5:00 p.m. on the 7th of each month. Customers can still make online payments after hours. If the 7th falls on a weekend or holiday, an additional business day is provided for payments before late fees are applied. Late fees apply to any amount over $24.99.
Example: If the 7th is a Saturday or Sunday, late fees will be processed on Tuesday morning.
Late fees are posted between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. The drop box is checked daily, with a morning check conducted before late fees are applied. All drop box payments are processed before assessing late fees.
Administrative Fees:
Payments and/or extension requests must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the 20th of each month. An administrative fee will be applied to any past due account on the 21st. Customers can still make online payments after hours or submit extension requests through the provided online link. If the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday, an additional business day is allowed for payments before the fee is applied.
Example: If the 20th is a weekend, the fee will be processed on the following Tuesday.
The administrative fee is posted between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on the 21st. The drop box is checked daily, and the Utility Billing Clerk reviews emails for late extension requests prior to posting the fee. Customers are eligible for an extension once every six months. During the COVID period, this policy was relaxed to allow monthly extensions, but as of January 1, 2024, we have reverted to the original extension policy.
Disconnections:
A Public Works employee will be in the office until 5:00 p.m. on disconnection days to facilitate reconnections. The morning hours are dedicated to disconnecting meters, while reconnections commence after lunch, typically around 1:00 p.m.
Note: If a customer is disconnected at 9:00 a.m. and makes a payment, their service will not be reconnected until after 1:00 p.m. This procedure allows Public Works to complete their disconnection list efficiently without the need for back-and-forth travel between addresses. Disconnections continue until all scheduled addresses are completed.