BILLINGS - City residents who owe outstanding water bills face a deadline Monday.
City officials set Jan. 12 for residents to fully pay any past due water biils or face the service being cut.
As of Jan. 9, 1,392 city water customers have delinquent accounts that meet the "turn off criteria," according to city officials.
The "turn-off criteria" is defined as customers who have not paid for two months, have a balance that exceeds $100 and are not on a payment plan.
Controversy over the city's water bills has been an ongoing issue since June 2024 when the city converted its utility billing software. A short time later, some customers reported receiving substantially increased bills.
While an audit determined no errors in the overall billed amounts for city water users, some residents remained unconvinced and have refused to pay the amounts from the disputed billing period.
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