Payment Plan for a Past Due Water Bill From Reading Area Water Authority
The Reading Area Water Authority can put customers who need more time to pay a water bill balance on a payment plan. You call the Customer Service Department, review your balance with a customer service representative, and the Authority can grant a plan with reasonable terms.
Not everyone qualifies. To find out whether you can be placed on a payment plan, call the RAWA office at 610-406-6300. If your account has already been sent to collections, you must contact the collection agency directly at 610-455-4115. Short term payment plans could be offered in that case, but you would need to discuss your account with a representative to see if you qualify, and down payments and other requirements would need to be followed.
Timing matters. All payments are due on the last day of each month, and a 10% penalty is added after a bill has reached 60 days and is still unpaid. There is no grace period after 60 days. When an account reaches the 4th billing cycle and is still outstanding, the most delinquent bill is turned over for collections, and three months of billings remain at RAWA. If you pay the most delinquent amount at collections, you must then pay the three more recent balances that were not turned over. As a one time courtesy the office could waive a penalty for a customer in good standing, but not if you are past due on the previous month's bills or in collections.
One type of bill cannot be spread out: for the bill where the owner has 60 days from the first letter to pay in full, there are no payment arrangements. After 61 days the remaining balance is sent to the collection agency, a 15% fee is added, and the water is at risk of being turned off.
If you own and live in your home and are having a hard time, Human Relations in City Hall has programs to help owner occupied properties pay their bills. Reach that office at 610-655-6141, or fill out a 2021 hardship program application and return it to 815 Washington Street, Reading PA 19601.
The Reading Area Water Authority is at 1801 Kutztown Road, Reading, PA 19604, and can also be reached at info@readingareawater.com. The page does not say what office hours are, whether a payment plan costs anything, or what documents to bring, so ask when you call.
Source: readingareawater.com/faq, read September 18, 2026.
The details
In Reading Area Water Authority’s words
Customers that are in need of additional time to pay a balance can call the Customer Service Department and review their balance with a CSR. A payment plan can be granted to customers with reasonable terms.
Organization
Reading Area Water Authority
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from readingareawater.com/faq. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.