Billing Information

SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR LESS THAN 2¢/GALLON

It’s no secret: Running a professionally managed water department and maintaining water sources, treatment plants and a distribution system costs money. Our annual budget exceeds $1.7M. Despite the budgetary needs, a gallon of safe, clean, reliable water from the Precinct still typically costs you less than two cents per gallon. Compare this to the cost of a gallon of bottled water from your local store, or the cost of installing, treating and maintaining a well, and you will quickly see the economic benefit of public water.

The Precinct’s operations are paid for largely through customer water bills and miscellaneous fees. The Water Commissioners have the authority to also levy taxes if needed, but haven't done so since the 1990s. As of 2026, bills are rendered quarterly on or about January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, and are due and payable upon presentation. Prompt payment of bills helps to keep rates and fees as low as possible – thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Payments may be made by mail, in person, or online through Customer Portal (more below).

DIGITAL BILL STUFFERS

In tandem with improvements to our billing software in 2025, we eliminated paper inserts with your water bills for efficiency and sustainability. See the drop down menus below for more information regarding our goings-on and the water news you should know about! Also available in the Customer Portal Information & Documents tab.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Customer Portal

HVWP is excited to offer customers an easy and convenient method to view and pay their water bills online through our Customer Portal, provided by Muni-Link in partnership with NCR. We hope that you create an account to take full advantage of features like Autopay and E-Billing as well as view billing/payment and usage histories. **NOTE: if you were registered in our old payment portal, you will need to create a new account with the Account Number and Customer ID (CID) Number found on bills from November 2025 or later to make payments online.

Payment Methods

Cash

Come by the office at 7 Riverside Street, Hooksett and pay at the window. You'll receive a receipt from staff. Please do not mail cash!

Card

Pay in person or via the Customer Portal. Autopay now available!

2.35% (min. $1) processing fee does not go to HVWP.

Check

Payable to Hooksett Village Water Precinct. $45 fee for returned checks.

Mail to 7 Riverside St (not PO Box)

Drop in mail slot to left of office door

Pay at window in office

Money Order

Payable to Hooksett Village Water Precinct.

Mail to 7 Riverside St (not PO Box)

Drop in mail slot to left of office door

Pay at window in office

Bank Payment

Please note that the date your bank says the payment is made (when funds leave your account) is not the date we receive it; it will be printed and mailed to us by your bank. **We recommend setting the payment date AT LEAST 7-10 business days before the due date to ensure on-time payments.

E-Check

Pay via the Customer Portal. Autopay now available! $45 fee for returned checks.

$1 processing fee DOES NOT go to Precinct. Processing fee reduced to 25¢ for Autopay E-Checks.

Payment Scams

Precinct employees do not collect payment at a customer's property. If someone approaches you for a payment of water charges on your property, it may be a utility scam and you should contact the Hooksett Police Department.

Fraudsters may send fake invoices or make urgent payment requests to steal your money. Please be extremely cautious. Our only automated notification number is (603) 945-7172. If you receive any call, email or text asking for payment, bank account details, or demanding immediate action:

STOP & DO NOT CLICK ANY LINKS.

CALL US IMMEDIATELY at our official phone number (603-485-3392) to verify the request. Do not use phone numbers from the call/email/text.

NEVER send payments via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency for bills.

Red Flags to Watch For:

- Emails with unexpected attachments or links.
- Threats of legal action.
- Unanticipated service disconnection threats (if you are delinquent and facing a pending disconnection, you will have already received a Late Notice AND we will give you 14 days written notice prior to disconnection).
- Requests for unusual payment methods (gift cards, Bitcoin).
- Poor grammar, spelling, or generic greetings.

Your security is important. If you have questions or concerns, always confirm payment details directly with us by phone or in person before sending funds.

Late Payments

Payment must be physically received at our office by 3:30PM on the due date listed on the water bill, unless a written payment plan approved by the Precinct is in place. The bill displays what amount to pay if payment has not been received by 3:30PM on the due date. On or about the start of the next business day after the due date, HVWP will apply a Late Payment Fee to any unpaid accounts. Late Notices identifying the outstanding balance including the late fee will be sent out to customers using their preferred method of communication.

Approximately three weeks after the late fees are applied, Final Notices will be generated for any unpaid accounts, unless a written payment plan approved by the Precinct is in place. A Shutoff Notification Fee will be applied to any account for which a Final Notice is generated. Final Notices will include a date for termination (shutoff) of water service, if the account continues to remain unpaid. Final notices will be delivered at least 14 days before the shutoff date.

The full balance must be received at our office by 3:30PM on the day before the shutoff in order to avoid termination for non-payment. HVWP reserves the right to disconnect service to any accounts with an outstanding balance at that time. Precinct field staff will proceed with any required shutoffs at the start of business on the shutoff date.

A Disconnect Fee will be applied if service is terminated for non-payment. The full outstanding balance (including the Disconnect Fee, Shutoff Notification Fee and Late Payment Fee) plus a Reconnect Fee must be paid to restore service. If HVWP restores service outside of the normal working hours of the field staff, an after-hours labor charge will also be applied. The after-hours labor charge will include a minimum of two (2) hours of labor.

All fees and charges are updated annually on HVWP’s Rate & Fee Schedule.

Example Timeline (Q2 2026)*

March 31 - Meters read for preceding quarter.
April 1 - Bills generated and posted to accounts. E-bill customers receive their bills immediately. Paper bills mailed.
May 1 - Payments due in office/Customer Portal by 3:30PM.
May 2 - Late Fees assessed on accounts (unless prior arrangements have been made with HVWP). Late Notices sent.
May 26 - Shutoff Notification Fees assessed (unless prior arrangements have been made with HVWP). Final Notices sent.
June 9 - Payments due in office/Customer Portal by 3:30PM.
June 10 - Shutoffs initiated. Disconnect Fees applied.
Varies - Water turned back on for accounts paid in full. Reconnect Fees applied. After-hours charges applied as applicable.

* Note: All dates are approximate and not guaranteed. They are provided for educational purposes only. Actual dates may be adjusted by the Precinct to account for weekends, holidays, or other events impacting the Precinct's ability to schedule.

Please find the tentative billing schedule for 2026 here.

Tips for Managing Bills and Payments

Be proactive in informing HVWP of any change in billing address, whether seasonally or permanently.

Contact the Precinct by the 8th of a billing month if a bill has not yet been received.

Utilize the Customer Portal and/or e-billing to view bills to avoid any delays associated with U.S. Mail.

Register for Autopay to ensure on-time payments. Automatic payments are made on the due date.

Ensure bank/card information is inputted correctly and sufficient funds exist to avoid $45 Returned Payment Fee.

Be sure to clearly indicate the account number and/or service address to which payment ought to be applied.

BILLING FAQs

If the Postmaster does not return your bill to our office as non-deliverable, the bill is considered delivered. Non-receipt of a bill shall not relieve the customer of the obligation for payment nor for the consequences of non-payment, which may include termination of service. If payment is not received in our office by the due date, a late payment fee will be assessed and the water service shutoff procedure will begin. This policy, while strict, has been put in place to maximize fairness and consistency.

Consider enrolling in e-billing through our Customer Portal to facilitate electronic delivery of your bills, which allows you to receive your bills faster and saves paper (and costs).

Hooksett Village Water Precinct recommends that customers monitor their water use by regularly reading their water meters. This may help alleviate the possibility of a high bill due to a leaking toilet or some other issue they are unaware of. We also recommend that landlord check the meter readings on their rental properties at least once per month to keep an eye on possible leaks or vandalism associated with rental units.

Most water meters are located in basements or utility rooms. Look for a pipe, usually plastic or copper for domestic services, coming out of the floor or wall with an offshoot leading to a device. That device is the meter. For the majority of meters, you can access the flow reading on the LCD display by opening the plastic lid. Our meters read in gallons and are cumulative from the time of installation.

Now that our Meter Replacement Program is complete, all customers can follow these steps to set up an EyeOnWater account. This account enables real-time updates about your usage and even lets you sign up for leak alerts.

If you need assistance finding, reading, or upgrading your meter, please contact us.

Typical water meter setup in a home in the Precinct.

The Precinct assists customers with meters which can be used for deduction on your sewer bill in certain applications. Please call for instructions and request or download a copy of our Deduct Meter Policy. Once the correct deduct meter is purchased from an approved supplier and properly installed, the customer must call us for an inspection. Once the inspection is completed, the address will be added to our deduct meter reading list. HVWP reads deduct meters each quarter and supplies the readings to the Sewer Department for credit. Please see the Hooksett Sewer Commission website for additional information. Each deduct meter incurs a quarterly fee payable to the Hooksett Village Water Precinct. This fee covers a portion of our cost for administering the deduct meter program and reading the deduct meters.

High bills reflect either an increase in water usage or a water leak. Usage may increase for a variety of reasons, such as a change in the household (e.g. shower / laundry patterns), the use of water-intensive irrigation systems or the filling of pools. Leaks can be hidden or obvious, and from a variety of sources. Leaky toilets are the most common culprit, and you may not hear or see the leak. Another common problem is a leaky pipe or appliance in the basement. For more advice on evaluating and troubleshooting leaks, see our Water Leaks page.

If you move, but still own the property, you MUST contact the Precinct and provide a forwarding address to ensure your bill is received in a timely manner. No late fee will be waived due to delays in forwarding mail. If you reside elsewhere part of the year you must also contact us when you leave and give the correct address to forward mail to. You must contact the office again when you return to town. Again, late fees WILL NOT be waived if no notice is given.

Owners of rental properties must receive a copy of their water bills, even if their tenants pay utilities. This ensures that the owner knows payments are being made. Unpaid balances are the legal responsibility of the owner. Copies of bills can be sent to tenants for them to pay. Tenant finals can be done when renters move out. Please contact the Hooksett Village Water Precinct when service in your renter's name should cease.

If the property is to be sold, please make sure you contact the Precinct at least TWO business days prior to closing with the following information:

Property Address
Closing Date & Need By Date
New Property Owner's Info:

Name
Mailing Address (if different from property)
Phone Number
Email Address

Send the information to: [email protected].

Any unpaid water bills STAY WITH THE PROPERTY, not the former owner. To ensure that new owners are not burdened with bills that are not their own, a final bill must be ordered.

RATES AND FEES

RATE & FEE SCHEDULE - Effective Jan. 1, 2026
LATE (Delinquent) PAYMENTS POLICY
Guide to Quarterly Rates/Charges & Development Fees
NHDES Water Rates Dashboard

ASSISTANCE

If you are struggling to pay your water bill, please reach out for help. We offer programs that may be of assistance including payment plans, senior & veteran discounts and participation in LIWHAP (see below). Additionally, we encourage you to contact the town hall or your church to inquire about local assistance programs. More info on utility bill assistance programs is listed below.

Senior Discount - The 10% Senior Discount applies to customers ages 65 and above, on domestic services ≤1” up to 10,000 gallons per quarterly bill. The Discount does not apply to deduct meters and irrigation-only accounts. To apply, please fill out the Senior Discount Application and stop by our office with your driver's license.

Veteran Discount - Similar to our Senior Discount, the 10% Veteran Discount applies to customers who have served our country on domestic services ≤1” up to 10,000 gallons per quarterly bill. The Discount does not apply to deduct meters and irrigation-only accounts. To apply, please fill out the Veteran Discount Application and stop by our office with an approved form of ID (see application for details).

LIHWAP – The Precinct participates in the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), a federally funded grant program used to cover and/or reduce arrearages, rates and fees associated with reconnection or prevention of disconnection of water service. To learn more, read the LIHWAP Announcement or contact the Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties (CAPBM) at https://www.capbm.org/fuel-assistance-program-fap.

Town of Hooksett – The Town of Hooksett’s Family Services Department administers General Assistance to Hooksett families in need under RSA 165 on a short-term, emergency basis. The Department also provides links to other local assistance programs. Learn more at https://www.hooksett.org/family-services.

211 NH – You can also contact 211 New Hampshire, a statewide service available 24/7 that provides access to all the health and human services available to you. Dial 2-1-1 and be connected, at no charge, to a trained information and referral specialist who can provide you with the information you need to get help. To learn more, visit them at https://www.211nh.org.

METERS

Water meters are used to measure the amount of water delivered to all customers. To coordinate the installation or replacement of a meter, please contact our office.

All water passing through the meter will be charged, whether used, wasted or lost by leakage. Any meter damaged through negligence or vandalism will be repaired or replaced at the customer’s expense.

At the end of 2024, the Precinct completed its Meter Replacement Program after eight years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in parts and labor. This has improved Precinct operations and added value for our customers who now receive a multitude of benefits like real-time water use data and more accurate readings.

REPAIRS

The Precinct is responsible for repairs from your property line (or curb stop) to the water main in the street. You are responsible for any repairs made on your water service from your property line (or curb stop) to your water meter. You may hire a competent private contractor to perform your repairs so long as the work meets the Precinct’s required specifications. A visual depiction of customer and Precinct responsibilities is provided here for your convenience.

Please call our office at (603) 485-3392 if you or your contractor have any questions.