Frequently Asked Questions

West U provides water, sewer, and solid waste services, including recycling, to residents. 

The city does not provide electricity, gas, or cable services. 

Utility service may be set up from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall, 3800 University Blvd., or online via the City’s website. Service will not be started on the same day as the application, holidays or weekends. All documentation must be received by 4:00 p.m. the business day before the requested connection/termination. Any documents received after 4:00 p.m. on a given day will be processed the next business day to start the following business day.

All West U residents will need to set up utility service. The City does not "transfer" service from one resident to another. Each party is responsible for connecting services and terminating services when they leave the City or move to another residence within the City. You will be responsible for the account until you terminate it whether you still reside there or not.  

The following documents are needed to start new service:

• Homeowners do not pay a deposit but will pay a $50 connection fee, which will be charged on your first month's billing. Billing requires a photo identification of the owner (driver's license or passport). Billing will only discuss utility issues with any person listed on that account. In addition, the front page of your purchase contract or other proof of ownership to verify that you are the homeowner of the location for which you want service. Documentation MUST be received by 4:00 p.m. the business day before connection. 
• Renters are required to pay a deposit of $200 in addition to a $50 connection fee. Billing requires a photo identification of any secondary contact listed on the application. The driver’s license is used for identification purposes only. The department will discuss utility issues such as billing with only persons listed on that account, so it is imperative that we have all the vital information. We will also need the front page of your lease agreement to verify that you are the renter of the location for which you want service. The $200 deposit is due BEFORE services are scheduled to start in your name. The connection fee will be charged on your first month’s billing. When you leave the City or change residences, the deposit will be applied to your final bill; you will then be billed for the remainder of your final bill or will receive a refund, whichever is appropriate.
• Builders are required to pay a deposit of $500 in addition to a $50 connection fee. Billing requires a photo identification from a builder employee to start service.  The $500 deposit is due BEFORE services are scheduled to start. The connection fee will be charged on your first month’s billing. When construction is complete, the deposit will be applied to your final bill; you will then be billed for the remainder of your final bill or will receive a refund, whichever is appropriate. 
• If you come into the office, please bring photo identification for all adults as listed above as well as the contract or lease agreement information as required. If you call the department, please be prepared to FAX (713.662.5804), email (billinghelp@westutx.gov) or bring those documents to City Hall. Service will not be scheduled until the department has received the documentation. Documentation MUST be received by 4:00 p.m. the business day before connection.
• Owners of new construction --- you will not be able to start a utility account until AFTER your certificate of occupancy is received in the Finance office. Moving into a home while still under the builder’s name may result in fines.

Utility service may be terminated from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall, 3800 University Blvd. Service will not be terminated on the same day as the application, on holidays or on weekends. Documentation received after 4:00 p.m. will be processed for the following business day. All residents of West University Place are required to terminate utility service when they move from one residence to another residence within the city or move from West University Place. West University Place does not "transfer" services from one resident to the next. The resident (renter or owner) is legally responsible for the account until it is properly terminated, whether they still reside in West University Place or not. You are not released from legal liability until the termination process has been completed by submitting the termination request form online or at the Customer Service window within City Hall. 

For renters or builders, the deposit will be applied against your final bill; you will then be billed for any remainder or will receive a refund, whichever is appropriate. Without your termination information, we will be unable to provide refunds.

To setup automatic payments,  you will need to create an account through our online payment system, Point & Pay.  There is NO COST to the customer when using this feature. On the monthly due date, your credit card will be charged or your checking account will be drafted for the amount owed. The customer will still receive a statement and will be able to view their utility account online.  The statement will reflect the words "AUTO DRAFT" on the bottom portion of the statement as a reminder they are set up for automatic payments. You can find information about setting up automatic payments online or by calling Utility Billing at 713.662.5824.  

NOTE: If you choose to use this option, it is the customers' responsibility to make any credit card/checking account updates within your Point & Pay account. This includes updating your credit card or banking information.

For more information on online bill access and payments go to Payment-Options.

The City does not offer over-the-phone payment. Payments can be made online through Point & Pay, at the Customer Service window at City Hall, or at the drop box located beside the fire station on Amherst Street. 

West U meters are automatically read every hour, 24 hours a day. Those readings are then uploaded into the system for billing. 

Any adjustments are made to the next month's billing cycle. If you do not pay your bill in full --- any bill --- you will be liable for late fees on any unpaid amount. It is better to pay your bill, however high, and see a lower bill the next month.

Residents are billed for the water that runs through their meter; if there is a leak in the street, that water does not go through their meter. Therefore, a leak in the street can only impact you through low water pressure or disruption of service while the leak is repaired. Because people and equipment are being utilized, errors can happen. The City offers residents the opportunity to file for an adjustment once a year for an unusually large bill due to a defect or some unknown cause. Understand that when utility staff tell you to monitor your account for more than one bill, it is not to get more money from you, but to get to the real reason for the increase if it is not due to increased water usage. The adjustment is only allowed once per 12-month period; if you file for it after one high bill and you have a leak, then you lose the chance to recoup some of the loss for additional affected months.

No, homeowners are responsible for repairing any leaks on the house side of the meter. Additionally, the city cannot recommend contractors to repair leaks.

If the leak is coming from near your water meter, please contact the city by calling 713-662-5824. If it is after hours, please call 713-668-0330.

Meters are read on the last day of the month. The data is then uploaded into the system during the next three weeks. Billing is typically done on the 26th of the month. The due date is the third Wednesday of the next month. Payments become delinquent if not received on the due date.

The City Council passed Ordinance 1969 on February 25, 2013, which allows the late fee to be waived by approval of the City Manager and Finance Director under certain conditions. Any approved waiver will be applied to the following month’s utility statement. 

To request the waiver of a late fee, the user must: 

•Make a written request within 30 days of the delinquent notice to billinghelpt@westutx.gov; 

•Have not received a waiver for late fees within the preceding 24-month period.

The city does not shut off water without ample notice to the home in question. The city will attempt to make contact by phone and email to allow residents the opportunity to make payment before their water is shut off. By the time residents receive their monthly statement, they are paying for water consumed two and a half months before, as West U bills a month in arrears for utility services. 

EXAMPLE: You move into your home in West U on June 1. On June 30, your meter is read, and the data is uploaded. The statements are sent to the printer, who will mail the statements on July 26. By the time your bill is due, the third Wednesday of August, you are paying for services that began approximately two and a half months before. 

If you find that you cannot pay your current utility bill, contact Utility Billing to discuss if a payment plan is available. 

Residents who need to set up payment plans may do so by contacting Utility Billing at 713-662-5824. You must be prepared to pay your current month’s bill plus an additional amount toward the delinquent portion each month. Failure to pay your agreed payment plan amount will result in the cancellation of the plan, and your water service will be terminated. Full payment will then be required to have your water service reconnected. Payment plan holders do not receive late fees on the delinquent amount, nor do they get termination notices UNLESS they do not pay the required amount. 

EXAMPLE: In October, a West U Resident received a $700 utility bill, which he cannot pay in total. He contacts the office and agrees to pay $50 each month toward his delinquent bill. His November bill is $400; this resident will have to pay $450 by the due date or face termination of his services. 

West U does not offer electronic transfers for utility payments. If you use your bank bill-paying program, the bank then cuts a paper check and mails it to us. Depending on the lead time you allow for payment, that could result in late charges for your account even though it shows the money was taken days earlier. We post payments to your account and deposit payments the day they are received. It is not the date that it is removed from your account that determines your late fees; it is the date we receive your payment.

• Name of all adult parties on the account (spouse, partner or roommate) who might possibly need to contact us about issues with the account. Copies of drivers’ licenses are also needed; 

• Current mailing address if different than service address; 

• Telephone numbers: home, work and cell; and 

• Email address.

By the time you receive a statement on your account, you are paying for services used approximately 6 weeks before. After the due date has passed, a reminder notice is sent to delinquent accounts, notifying them that they missed the deadline. If this is disregarded, the services will be terminated, and the account will be assessed a $50 disconnection fee. 

To prevent termination of services, a resident MUST bring the account current or set up a payment plan to have the service turned back on. If a resident uses a credit card to bring their account current before termination, the Finance Office MUST be contacted as soon as the payment is made to allow staff time to verify payment and stop the termination process; payments made at the window will be automatically credited at the time of payment, stopping the termination process. It is the residents' responsibility to inform the Utility Department that payment has been made if not at the customer service window. Service is normally restored during business hours; it can be restored after hours, weekends, or holidays at an additional cost, so it is very important that you respond promptly to the reminder letters. 

If your service is disconnected, the City will still take payments in the form of cash, check, money order, or credit card. However, the payment SHOULD be made in person to ensure a quick reconnection. The City will not reconnect until the payment has been received. If you put a check in the mail, it generally takes 3 days to arrive; if a weekend or holiday is involved, the time may be longer. It is in your best interest to bring the payment to the counter and pay in person. If you place it in the utility drop box during the day, it will not be processed until the next morning, as the box is checked between 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. during business days. If you choose to pay by credit card, you MUST contact our office and let us know that a payment has been made so that we can verify if and apply it to your account. Again, it is to your benefit to come into the office and pay by credit card with staff. 

If you struggle remembering to make payment, you might want to consider a free automatic draft on your checking account, or recurring credit card payments, generated online through your Point & Pay account.

The city reduces the cost of solid waste pickup for customers who are over 65 or disabled. This discount will apply starting with the next billing cycle after the necessary paperwork is submitted. No retroactive refunds will be given for any time before the application is filed.

To receive the "over 65" reduction, provide Utility Billing with a copy of your driver’s license at the Customer Service window at City Hall during office hours or via email to billinghelp@westutx.gov.

Maybe.... that is the best answer we can give without checking your account. In 2011, the Finance Department changed software. Some of your contact information easily populated in the new system, while some were lost in the transition. We want the following information on all our customers at a minimum: 

• Account holder information; if you are not listed on the account, we can’t talk to you about the account. 
  • Names of all adults listed on contract or lease 
  • Mailing address if different than physical address 
  • Current telephone information including home, work and cell 
  • Current email address 
  • Driver’s license information on all account holders; this is used to verify identity. If driver’s license is unavailable, a copy of a current passport will suffice. 
• Copy of the first page of your sales contract or HCAD documentation of ownership; copy of the first page of a lease if a renter. 
• Optional: 
  • Legal information for executors including driver’s license 
  • Divorce decrees to remove a once married spouse from the account 
  • Death certificate to remove a deceased spouse from the account 
  • Authorization from the account holder for staff to act in behalf

The West U auto decal can be purchased in the Finance Department, 3800 University Boulevard. The cost is $1.00 per sticker and you must show proof of residency. Auto decals are not required for parking in West U.

We offer one-time payment or recurring payments by automatic draft from a checking account or using a Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit card through our online payment system, Point & Pay.  In addition, we accept payment by check, money order, credit card and cash at the Customer Service window in City Hall.  We also accept checks or money orders in the mail and drop box located on Amherst.  Our mailing address is:  Utility Department, 3800 University Blvd, West University Place, TX  77005.  Please do not send cash through the mail or through our drop box. For more information, call 713.662.5825 (Utility Billing) or 713.662.5826 (Customer Service).

West U's current and historical annual budgets are available online at www.westutx.gov/budget.

The property tax rate is set annually by the City Council. To view the current property tax rate, please visit www.westutx.gov/finance.

Yes. The Finance Department produces monthly financial and investment reports. Current and historical reports can be accessed by visiting www.westutx.gov/transparency.

Yes. Annually, an audit is performed by a third-party firm, as required by state law. Current and historical Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports can be accessed by visiting www.westutx.gov/transparency.