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For Immediate Release
April 26, 2021

BWS Temporarily Extending Customer Outreach Call Hours to Help Those with Financial Hardships


HONOLULU – Starting Monday, April 26, 2021, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) is temporarily extending its Customer Care outreach to 6:00 PM daily to assist customers who are experiencing financial hardship. These hours are for BWS to make calls to customers only; the lobby and our inbound telephone center will continue to open at 7:45 AM and close at 4:30 PM.

“During the extended hours, we are reaching out to customers who seem to have trouble paying their bills and may not be available during regular business hours,” said BWS Customer Care Program Administrator Jennifer Elflein. “Our staff will call customers with past due accounts and offer to work with them to establish a repayment plan.”  

The BWS reminds the public that when its Customer Care staff contacts a customer regarding overdue payment, he or she:

  • Will NOT demand payment on-the-spot.
  • Will NOT request personal banking information.
  • Will NOT threaten immediate disconnection if payment is not instantly made. 
  • Will provide options on how to submit payment, which includes calling the BWS published phone number at 748-5000.

Customers are also reminded that:

  • They can check the BWS website at www.boardofwatersupply.com/call to confirm information and instructions provided by staff. 
  • When in doubt, do NOT provide any personal information and immediately hang up. Then call the BWS at 748-5000 or email customerservice@hbws.org for assistance.
  • The BWS accepts credit and debit card payments for accounts billed at the single-family residential rate and does not charge a credit card processing fee.
  • The BWS offers 24/7 pay-by-phone service.  Customers can call (808) 204-4234 and follow prompts to navigate their way through the automated system to successfully make payment.
  • They can obtain account information and pay their bills 24/7 using online bill payment at www.boardofwatersupply.com.

“We urge customers who are unable to pay their bills to let us know about their situation as soon as they can so we can help them keep their water service on and their account balance manageable,” Elflein said. “However, we do expect payment from those who are not experiencing any financial hardship.”

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, follow @BWSHonolulu or like the BWS’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BWSHonolulu.

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Contact:

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