Richmond Hill residents and businesses will soon see a few changes in how they pay their utility bills.

City Council heard a first reading Tuesday night of revisions to the billing and payment-collection procedures for water and sewer service.

The changes will be brought up for a second reading and a vote at the June 16 City Council meeting.

Under the revised policy, a late fee will be charged when a water/sewer bill is not paid within 15 calendar days from the first day of the month. Nonpayment within 25 days from the first day of the month will result in the property’s water being shut off.

Currently, those deadlines are later than the 15th and 25th days of the month.

“It was getting out of hand,” City Manager Chris Lovell said. “When you get out to the 30th (day of the month), it gets into another billing cycle. That doesn’t make much sense.”

The late fee will be $10 for bills not paid within 15 calendar days after the first of the month. Accounts not paid within 25 days will be disconnected and charged a $35 service fee. The charge to turn water back on after a shut-off also will be $35.

Another change is that the city will charge nonrefundable application fees instead of refundable deposits. The application fees will be: residential customers, $100 inside the city limits and $150 outside, and commercial customers, $200 inside the city limits and $300 outside.