Brookhaven city water customers should have noticed by now their bills are arriving in a different format.

Previously sent out on postcards, the city water-sewer-garbage notices are now sent monthly in a letter.

“A lot, lot, lot of our residential and commercial cards were getting lost in the mail for over a year,” said Water Department clerk Kayla Watts. “The bills have been upgraded because the postcards got damaged or lost really easily.”

While the city does not have a new billing system, customers may be seeing higher bills due to rate increases which took effect in November.

“People have been asking for full-page invoices and email options,” Watts said. “They wanted a bill with more information and a way to get emailed.”

Customers can sign up for a paperless option, with their bills emailed to them each month. The customer can do this in one of three ways: scan the QR code on their personal bill; fill out the paperless option on the payment portion of their bill; or call the Water Department at 601-833-7721.

A minimum bill is water usage of 0 to 2,000 gallons. Water and sewer are $18.50 each, and garbage pickup is $32.50, for a total of $69.50 monthly. If a customer believes their bill is incorrect, they can contact the department.

“We have had a lot of complaints over the better part of a year — people not getting bills consistently or at all,” said Watts. “We are hoping this is the way for bills not to get lost as easily.”