News Release

For Immediate Release
FEBRUARY 27, 2018

BWS Reminds Customers To Be Wary of Scammers

Customers should verify account status before making payment

HONOLULU – The Board of Water Supply (BWS) is reminding its customers to be wary of potential scams involving fraudulent phone calls or visits from people claiming to represent the water agency, stating the account is overdue, and demanding immediate payment. This warning comes as scammers have approached customers of other local utilities using these tactics.

If you receive unexpected and/or aggressive phone calls from individuals demanding water bill payment under immediate threat of disconnection of water service, ask for the individual's name and phone number, and say you will call them back. Do not provide them with any information about your account. Then call the BWS at 748-5030 to confirm your account status.

The BWS does not call customers outside its regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. regarding payment, nor does the BWS attempt to contact a customer, demand payment, and collect payment all in the same phone call. When the BWS contacts a customer regarding overdue payment, he or she will be asked to call the BWS at 748-5030 to make a credit card or debit card payment.

If you are approached by someone saying he/she is from the BWS, it is acceptable to ask for official identification.  All personnel involved in official BWS activities will be properly credentialed -- wearing official BWS attire with the BWS logo, driving BWS labeled vehicles, and carrying an official City and County of Honolulu badge, with the agency identified as the BWS. See attached photos.   

More photos of official BWS attire and vehicles can be viewed here. Additionally, the BWS does not schedule appointments to meet with a customer outside its regular business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, and does not conduct leak detection inside a customer’s property.  Residents who want to confirm the validity of an individual claiming to be a BWS employee may call the BWS at 748-5000 or call the Honolulu Police Department at 9-1-1 if they are suspicious of an individual’s credentials. Customers may also call the BWS at 748-5041 to file an additional report.

About the Board of Water Supply

The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system.  As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu.  The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future.  Uwē  ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.”  For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com.

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Contact:

Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui
Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5319