Raleigh Resumes Water Disconnections After 5-Month Pause

City cites improved customer adoption of new billing portal as reason to end moratorium

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:56pm

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The city of Raleigh, North Carolina will resume water service disconnections and late fees on Monday, March 18, 2026, after a five-month pause implemented to allow customers to transition to a new online billing portal. The city says over 60% of customers have now registered for the new system, indicating they are ready to resume normal billing operations.

Why it matters

The resumption of water disconnections and late fees will impact many Raleigh residents, especially as the economy continues to face challenges with rising costs for essentials like gas and food. However, the city says it has assistance programs available for customers who fall behind on payments.

The details

Raleigh put late fees and water disconnections on hold last year after implementing a new online payment portal for customers. For some residents like Efrem Gandy, the transition was abrupt, with late fees appearing on bills unexpectedly. The city has now determined that with 60% of customers registered for the new portal, it's time to resume normal billing practices, including the ability to disconnect service for non-payment.

  • The water disconnection and late fee moratorium began in July 2025.
  • The new online billing portal was launched in November 2025.
  • Water and consumption charges were increased by 4% in July 2026, impacting most single-family homes in Raleigh and surrounding towns.
  • Raleigh will resume water disconnections and late fees on March 18, 2026.

The players

Efrem Gandy

A Raleigh resident who was caught off guard by the resumption of late fees after the city's moratorium.

Kimberly Holmes-Iverson

A spokesperson for Raleigh Water, the city's water utility, who says the utility is ready to resume normal billing operations.

Raleigh Water

The city of Raleigh's water utility, which oversees water service and billing for the city.

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What they’re saying

“My check didn't come in on time that bill needed to be paid. Call them. Hey, no problem. We're waiving that fee. Okay. So then time by, time went by, they started back. I looked, 'What's this extra?'”

— Efrem Gandy

“We're showing about a 60% increase in customers actually registered on the new sites over those who registered on the legacy site. So that's showing that it's time for us to resume normal billing operations.”

— Kimberly Holmes-Iverson, Spokesperson, Raleigh Water

“With the way the economy is right now, gas is going up, and food is going up.”

— Efrem Gandy

“Knowledge is power, and we are here to help. Once we know that you were trying to tackle your bill, and you were receiving some help. You will be removed from that list of outstanding payments and will continue to have service.”

— Kimberly Holmes-Iverson, Spokesperson, Raleigh Water

What’s next

Raleigh Water has been working to notify customers with the highest outstanding balances about the resumption of disconnections and late fees.

The takeaway

The resumption of water disconnections and late fees in Raleigh comes at a challenging economic time for many residents, but the city says it has assistance programs available for those who fall behind on payments. The transition to a new online billing portal appears to have been disruptive for some customers.