Over the past four years, the City of Hattiesburg has taken great strides in improving customer service and operations. This has allowed departments to better provide city services to residents, and the City continues to make necessary improvements.

Building on these improvements, the City will particularly focus on the Water and Sewer Department, with a focus on modernizing both infrastructure and the customer experience. Specifically for water billing, this means creating a streamlined approach for residents to receive water bills and providing more options in making payments.  

Currently, residents receive a 4×6 postcard each month with minimal information regarding usage and payment details (see image inset). Over time, the feedback received from many residents includes concerns over the lack of information regarding prior months’ usage, that the size of the card often makes it easy to get lost in the mail and that the size doesn’t make it easy to mail in/drop off payment if needed. 

For the past two years, the City’s water billing division has researched best practices for bill mailings in the utility industry and is now moving forward with an upgraded solution that will modernize a very antiquated process and help solve many of residents’ concerns.

Beginning in November, water bills will feature a new design and be delivered directly to mailboxes in an envelope. The upgraded look (see image inset) includes a full-page printout in an envelope with a security envelope for bill payment.

It will also include the following:

• Easy to access contact information for questions and concerns.
• A graph of water consumption for the past six months.
• An account summary to easily access balance total and due date.
• A block specific for sharing news and notes with residents.
• A detachable payment coupon that fits easily in the provided security envelope.
• A full page of detailed notes for how residents can pay bills, the disconnection of service policy, how to handle past due bills and how to enroll in paperless electronic billing. 

Throughout September and October residents will continue to receive the standard water bill in addition to several pieces of communication about the new design, before making the switch in November.

In November, residents will receive the first bill with the new layout and design. Should residents have any questions or concerns, they can reach out to the Mayor’s Office at 601-545-4501 or at the Water Billing Office at 601-545-4634.