BILLING
Yes, visit our Make a Payment link to visit our third-party payment processor. You can also set up online Bill Pay through your Bank.
If a credit card fails the customer will receive an email stating that it failed. The email will also have links to the payment website so the customer can try again.
No, we are not set up to process payments over the phone. Payments can be mailed to 70 Breaker Lane Port Ludlow, WA 98365 or dropped into our payment drop box at 70 Breaker Lane.
Bills are sent out every two months on the even months of the year. They usually go in the mail on the third week of the month.
Meters are read every two months on even months. Usually the same week the bills go into the mail.
Visit our Current Rates page.
Contact OWSI either by phone 360.437.8241 or email to bring your concerns to our attention. We will look at your historic average usage and at your currents charges. If anything looks unusual we will give you options to resolve problem.
Yes. The base rate keeps OWSI financially solvent during months of low usage. Without the base rate the usage rates would have to be increased in the winter. Then when summer came either OWSI would see a large financial increase or the rates would have to be reduced. The base rate buffers out the need for the rates to change seasonally.
A $50 (regular hours) or $85 (after hours) reconnect fee in addition to the outstanding balance owed will need to be paid prior to service being restored. You will need to contact OWSI billing 360.437.8241 between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm to have service restored or 877.826.5787 after hours.
WATER QUALITY
Likely rusty or brown water is caused by manganese. Many times the color will go away just by running your water for a few minutes. If the water does not clear up call OWSI maintenance or if after 3:30 pm weekdays or on a weekend call the emergency number.
You can expect to smell a faint smell of chlorine in the water periodically. We are making every effort to minimize that from occurring. Contact OWSI to talk to a technician if there is a stronger than normal chlorine smell.
The water in the Port Ludlow area is moderately hard. 80- 85 mg/l as CaCO3
7.5 to 8.0
Hot and Cold Water. There is a type of plastic water line that attaches your fixtures to the supply valve in the wall. That water “supply line” reacts with the water to give off the smell. That supply line can be replaced with a copper supply line to eliminate the smell.
Hot Water Only. A hot water tank has a sacrificial anode installed on it that will corrode instead of your tank itself. If you replace your anode with a zinc or aluminum-zinc alloy anode rod the smell should subside.
Some homes have pressure reducing valves (PRV). They can become out of adjustment causing typically low but possibly high water pressure. A PRV is owned by the homeowner. If you are unsure if there is a PRV on your water line and you are experiencing pressure issues contact OWSI. We will assist in determining if you have a PRV.
When the Utility determines that a leak has occurred on the customer’s property, the Utility will adjust the customer’s bill after the customer submits a bill from a plumber, contractor, or other evidence that the leak has been repaired. The Utility must re-calculate the customer’s bill for the ‘relevant time period.’ The ‘relevant time period’ for this adjustment will not exceed two (2) months for any given leak. The customer’s bill will be adjusted by:
- Estimating the customer’s ‘projected normal usage’ during the relevant period(s) and billing this amount according to the usage rate shown on Schedule 2.
- Billing the ‘excess usage’ during the relevant period using one-half (1/2) the usage and rate(s) shown on Schedule 2.
- Crediting the difference between the original bill for the relevant period and the sum of the bills described in Steps 1 and 2.
‘Projected Normal Usage’ – as an estimate of what the customer’s water consumption would have been had there been no leak. This estimate will be based on the same period from the prior year.
‘Excess Usage’ – as the actual metered usage minus the projected normal usage.
Note: The credit described in this Rule is available to a customer only once every twenty-four calendar months.
Visit the WA State Division of Environmental Health website Sentry Internet, for data submitted to the state Office of Drinking Water. Search by Water System Name: Olympic Water & Sewer Inc or by Water System ID: 68700L
MISC.
Contact OWSI at 360.437.8349 to request a Water Availability Letter. Once you have received your permit contact OWSI billing at 360-437-8241 to start the water application process. You will be required to pay a $500.00 connection fee, provide your billing and service addresses. OWSI maintenance will then contact you within 7-10 days to make arrangements to place a meter at or near your property lines.
There are certain situations that allow OWSI to charge a deposit but generally a deposit is not necessary.
There are several conditions on the homeowners that can require the public potable water system be protected from contamination. Protection is provided by a backflow preventer on the water line that the possible contamination could come from. For a list of possible contamination sources- click here.
EMERGENCY?
Call our 24-hour Emergency number 877-826-5787.
