You’ve picked out the perfect new apartment or home, packed your belongings into boxes, and made the necessary moving arrangements. What’s left to be checked off on your moving checklist? Your water service (among other utilities)!
Don’t forget to contact the Water Revenue Bureau (WRB) about your water account. You should do this immediately after securing your new home or after moving in. If you are a tenant and want water service in your name, you will need to apply to become a water customer.
New homeowners must contact the WRB to have service transferred into their names. You will need to submit a deed or settlement sheet to complete a transfer of service as a property owner.
Setting up service (for tenants)
This is a two-step process. You must contact the WRB to:
- First, discontinue service at your old address, then
- Set up water service at your new address.
A tenant moving from one rental property to another must submit a new application to receive a water bill in their name at their new address. You can’t transfer your existing water account to your new home, but you can easily create a new account in no time.
You will need the rental property owner’s authorization, usually in the form of a lease, a letter, or a prior court determination of a rental agreement. The lease must expressly state that you are responsible for the water bill.
To get started, please email WRB.contactintake@phila.gov to request a copy of our Tenant Termination Application. Be aware that this application is not available online. It is only accessible by email.
The next step is to complete a new tenant water customer application. Make sure to submit the following documents with your application: a copy of your driver’s license, a current government or municipal identification card, a Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) or PECO bill, and a current meter reading. A complete list of required documents for the tenant application is available on our Tenants webpage.
Many ways to submit your application
You can e-mail your completed application and the required documents to WRB.contactintake@phila.gov or drop it off at the Municipal Services Building (MSB)—look for the Intake Unit’s drop-box located in the lobby.
We recommend that you make an appointment to submit your application in person. You can request a callback online.
If you would rather mail in a paper application, send your documents to:
City of Philadelphia
WRB Intake / CU – 3rd Floor
1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Got questions or need help? Please call (215) 685-6300.
Photo credit: @elenaiwata
