Avoid Online Scams

There have been a number of articles published recently informing utility customers of a nationwide bill paying scam. In effort to increase awareness of this issue we have included links to the articles below.

Wall Street Journal article.
National Grid article.
LIPA article.

Fairfax Water would like to provide the following tips to keep in mind:

• Fairfax Water does not ask customers to provide a social security number.
• Fairfax Water employees have company photo identification with them. Our vehicles and field staff’s clothing bear our company logo.
• Fairfax Water employees do not receive nor accept any form of payments during service calls.
• Most water meters are located outside of a customer’s home. Therefore Fairfax Water employees typically DO NOT require access to a customer’s home to read a meter.

Payments

Fairfax Water offers the following payment options. A detailed description of each option may be found by clicking one of the buttons below.

Account Balance

In order to pay your bill, you must first know your account balance. Fairfax Water sends you a bill, quarterly. If you cannot locate your bill, please call us for your account balance. During business hours, you may speak with Customer Service at 703-698-5800. Alternatively, you may use our automated system / IVR. The automated system / IVR may also be used after hours.

To use our automated system, you must have your thirteen-digit account number and the service address zip code. From 703-698-5800, select option 3 on our menu, during business hours. Select option 2, after hours. You will hear your current account balance and due date, as well as last payment date and last payment amount.

Account information is updated once daily, from Tuesday through Saturday, by 7 a.m., except on holidays.  

Direct Debit

Direct debit is a simple way to pay your bill automatically from your bank account. Participation is free.

Here are the steps:

• Please complete the Application for Automatic Recurring Bank Draft form.
• Mail the form, along with a voided check, to:
  Fairfax Water
  Attn: Customer Accounting
  8570 Executive Park Ave.
  Fairfax, Virginia 22031
  You may request a form be mailed to you by calling 703-698-5800.
• Once your form is received, automatic payment will begin within four business days, with your current balance.
• Quarterly bills will continue to be mailed and, for your reference, the debit date will appear in place of the due date.
• To change or cancel your participation, please use the Application for Automatic Bank Draft again. We require you to submit your change or cancel request a minimum of four business days before the scheduled debit date.

You may download a PDF version of the Application for Automatic Recurring Bank Draft form by clicking here. Or, call us at 703-698-5800 to request one.

Direct Debit Terms and Conditions

Authorization - By completing this application, you are authorizing Fairfax Water to make your bill payments by transferring funds from you bank account to Fairfax Water.

A voided check must accompany the Application for Recurring Bank Draft form. The signature on the application must match the name on the voided check.

You are responsible for ensuring sufficient funds in your account on the debit date. If funds are unavailable at the time of the debit, a return payment fee will be applied. If the bank returns a transfer without payment, Fairfax Water has the right to assess a fee equal to the fee charged for return checks. The participant is then immediately responsible to remit full payment and the return payment fee. Upon the second returned payment within a year, your participation will be discontinued.

You may discontinue your participation at any time. But, we require you to submit your change or cancel request a minimum of four business days before the scheduled debit date.

Based upon the services billed and under the terms of this agreement, it is understood that the amount debited may vary. Amounts will fluctuate from billing period to billing period. This authorization allows Fairfax Water to adjust the amount drafted from your bank account to accommodate changes in usage and charges.

Each bill received from Fairfax Water will serve as notice of the amount of each payment deduction.

Fairfax Water reserves the right to cancel this agreement.

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Pay your bill online using your checking account or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). Payments are processed by Speedpay®. Speedpay® charges a fixed fee of $2.95 per transaction. Transactions are limited to $500 each, but there is no limit to the number of transactions you can make. Payments made before 10 p.m. will be posted to your Fairfax Water account on the following business day.

If online payment is made after the disconnect date printed on your reminder notice, please call 703-289-6185 with your payment confirmation number, to have service restored.

To pay online using Speedpay®, please have your thirteen-digit account number, service address zip code and payment amount ready. Then, click the button below:

A number of customers have asked about the online fee for online payments. Many consumers don’t know that all credit card companies charge a fee each time card holders use their credit cards. We want to provide customers with the convenience of paying by credit or debit cards, but we believe it is not equitable to pass on the cost of this convenience to all of our customers when only a small number actually use this payment option. The majority of our customers mail in their payments or utilize our free Automatic Recurring Bank Draft option to make their payment. These two payment options do not incur any additional fees or costs for our customers.

Requiring customers using the online payment option to absorb the credit card fees is not unusual for water utilities or even the county government. As an example, the two largest neighboring Virginia water systems - Prince William and Loudoun - have similar fees. Fairfax County government also utilizes such direct fees.

Despite the challenges, we continue to explore the most cost effective payment systems, balancing customer convenience with costs. But until the cost of third party transactions, such as credit card payments, matches the cost of the other payment options that are available, we are not in favor of having all our customers subsidize the high cost of credit card use.

If you need assistance, please call 703-698-5800.

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Telephone Payments

Pay your bill by phone using your checking account or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). Payments are processed by Speedpay®. Speedpay® charges a fixed fee of $2.95 per transaction. Transactions are limited to $500 each, but there is no limit to the number of transactions you can make. Payments made by 10 p.m. will be posted to your Fairfax Water account the following business day.

If telephone payment is made after the disconnect date printed on your reminder notice, please call 703-289-6185 with your payment confirmation number, to have service restored.

To pay by phone using Speedpay®, please have your thirteen-digit account number, service address zip code and payment amount ready. Then, call 1-877-311-9969. Also, from our automated account balance system / IVR, you may transfer to Speedpay®, after you have listened to your balance.

If you need assistance, please call 703-698-5800.

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In Person

Cash, check or money order payments are accepted at our main office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Check or money order payments may be deposited at anytime using the night deposit box located at the front entrance of the main building.

Fairfax Water

Morin Building

8570 Executive Park Avenue

Fairfax, VA 22031

(Click here for map)

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By Mail

In the interest of efficiency, our payments are processed off-site.

Please use this address to remit your payments:

Fairfax Water
PO Box 71076
Charlotte, NC 28272-1076

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Through Your Bank

If you currently use your bank’s online bill payment program, this may be an option for you. Check with them for options and any associated fees. You can set up the payee as Fairfax Water, but depending on your financial institution, our name may appear as Fairfax County Water Authority or Fairfax Water NC.

Use your thirteen-digit account number and our remit address:

Fairfax Water
PO Box 71076
Charlotte, NC 28272-1076

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