Disputing a Bill

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has a dispute escalation process that generally consists of the following four steps:

Utility staff review
Supervisor/Lead review
Managerial review
Hearing Officer review

Customers may request an independent interpreter through SPU's services for interpretation, teleprinters/teletypewriters (TTY), or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD in cases where there is a language, speech, or hearing barrier.

Note: If you are disputing a bill reflecting exceptionally high water usage, please review SPU's Leak Adjustment webpage and Leak Adjustment Director's Rule (pdf).

Initiating a Dispute

When initiating a dispute, please ensure that you:

Explain what and how much is being disputed.
State why you are disputing a charge or decision.
Describe what action or relief you are requesting.

You can dispute a bill by contacting us by any of these methods:

Use our online form.
By phone: Call an SPU customer service representative at (206) 684-3000.
In person: Visit the Customer Service Center in the lobby of the Seattle Municipal Tower (formerly Key Tower), 700 5th Avenue, in Downtown Seattle.
By mail: Mail your letter to:

Seattle Public Utilities
Attention: Customer Response Division
PO Box 34027
Seattle, WA 98124-4027

Undisputed charges should be paid at the time the dispute is initiated.

Standard processing time for initiating and resolving a dispute is 20 business days upon receipt of a dispute. SPU will inform the customer throughout the process if the timeframe needs an extension, particularly for more complex disputes.