The Municipality of Huron East provides water and wastewater services to residents in Brussels, Egmondville, Seaforth and Vanastra. Municipal water services are also provided in Brucefield. Huron East residents in Molesworth are supplied with municipal water from our neighbour municipality, North Perth. Huron East residents in Vanastra are supplied with municipal water from our neighbour Central Huron.
As a property owner, you are responsible for maintaining the water and sewer lines from the street to the inside of your home. Please visit our Water and Sewer page for more information.
For after-hours water emergencies, please call 519-527-0160 and follow the directions for emergency calls.
On this page:
- Utility bills
- How to pay your utility bill
- How to read your utility bill
- Address change
- E-Send
- Late payments
- Returned cheques
- Are you moving?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
Utility bills
The Municipality of Huron East issues utility bills quarterly, in March, June, September and December. Each bill is due on the last business day of the month in which it is issued. The due date may fall on a different date based on holidays, so please refer to your bill for the accurate due date.
View the current Water and Wastewater Billing Rates in our Fee By-Law.
Note: If you have not received your utility bill or have misplaced your bill, please contact the Municipal Office by calling 519-527-0160 ext. 23. Failure to receive a utility bill does not excuse the property owner from paying the utilities by the installment date.
How to pay your utility bill
The Municipality has a number of options available to our customers for payment. Payment must be received at the Municipal Office by the due date to avoid penalty.
- Pre-authorized payment plan: The amount due for your bill is automatically withdrawn from your bank account on the installment due date upon completion of a Pre-Authorized Payment Plan Application Form.
- Telephone/Internet banking: Most financial institutions offer “The Municipality of Huron East - Utilities” or “Huron East - Utilities” as one of their payees. Payments may be made using the 8-digit utility account number listed on your utility bill. When using telephone or internet banking, please allow for processing time to ensure your payment is received in the Municipal Office on or before the due date to avoid penalty charges.
- By mail: Cheques can be mailed with the required payment stub to Municipality of Huron East, PO Box 610, Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0. Allow sufficient time for the payment to reach our office on or before the due date to avoid penalty charges.
- In person: Payments can be made at the Municipal Office located at 72 Main St. South, Seaforth, Ontario between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Payment methods accepted are cash, cheque and debit. After hours payments can be deposited in our dropbox, located at the Municipal Office.
- Post dated cheques: The Municipal Office will accept post-dated cheques corresponding with the amounts and due dates printed on the payment stubs. Please ensure the payment stubs are included with your cheques.
Automated property tax and utility payment processing
Please note that as we transition to a more automated process, please be aware that the system may not identify incorrect account numbers or payments made to the utility account via the taxes account (or vice versa). We understand that mistakes can happen, and our aim is to help you avoid any potential penalties arising from these errors.
General Accounts Receivable payments (i.e., pet tags, rentals, ice fees) are to be paid by e-transfer to payments@huroneast.com with CUST ID. An example would be WATCH0001 (First 5 letters of your last name followed by 4 digits).
Correcting such issues can create extra work for everyone involved. Therefore, we kindly ask that you verify your payments to ensure they are sent to the correct account using the proper account numbers.
For any questions related to property taxes, please contact the Tax Collector at propertytax@huroneast.com
For any questions related to utilities, please contact the Utility Clerk at utilities@huroneast.com.
How to read your utility bill
Legend
The numbers included in the utility bill example photo above correspond with the numbers in the legend below.
- General: Statement information, billing period, account number, and due date.
- Address: Address of billed property. Please ensure that the address and mailing are up to date and contact the Municipality for any required changes
- Total due: This refers to the payment that needs to be made on the account by the due date.
- DO NOT PAY -You are enrolled in the pre-authorized payment plan: This only applies to residents who are signed up for a pre-authorized payment program. This will not appear on your bill, if you are not signed up. To sign up for pre-authorized payments, please fill out the
Address change
Please ensure the Municipal Office has an up to date mailing address so you can receive your mail in a timely fashion.
To prevent misdirected utility bills, please notify the Municipal Office, in writing or by e-mail utilities@huroneast.com, of any mailing address changes. We are unable to take address changes over the phone. If you have a PO Box ensure it is on file with the municipality as this may result in your mail being returned to our office.
Failure to receive a utility bill does not exempt you from the payment of utilities, nor penalty and interest.
E-Send
To have your utility bill emailed to you, please complete our E-Send Enrollment Form. If you have any questions or decide to withdraw from E-Send, please contact the Municipal Office at 519-527-0160 ext. 23.
Please note: It is the customer's responsibility to complete a new enrollment form if there is a change to the email address where the utility bill is being sent, and to notify the Municipal Office if your bill has not been received.
Customers using the Utility E-Send service are subject to standard late fees if applicable.
Late payments
A penalty of 1.25% will be added on the first day of default, as well as 1.25% on the first day of each month thereafter.
Penalty is deducted first from all payments made and the balance, if any, will be applied to the oldest outstanding balance first.
If no payments have been made towards your utility balance after one (1) year, the balance will be transferred to your Property Tax bill.
Returned cheques
Cheques not honoured by your bank will result in a charge of $35.00 being added to your tax account. Please ensure your cheques are properly completed and signed.
