Customers of the Chatham County Water Utility will see late fees and cutoffs resume in the coming weeks, according to the local government.

A release from Chatham County on Tuesday alerted the community of the change, shifting the local government back to normal billing operations that were altered during the aftermath of a cyberattack. The local government said late fees will resume in April, with water service cutoffs for customers with unpaid bills beginning in May.

Chatham County Water Utility began sending bills to customers at the end of February for the period after the local government fell victim to a ransomware attack in October. After a “phishing” email allowed a criminal organization to access county files, officials shut down the county’s phone, email and internet networks. Rebuilding the networks took the county months, with staff recently reporting the local government is nearing a full recovery.

The bills covered billing cycles from November 2020 from February 2021 and will be due March 25.

Chatham County utility shutoffs were also suspended during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, due to a moratorium enacted by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Shutoffs resumed throughout the community in September.

The county government said it charged customers at the “lowest tiered rate” to reduce the impact of receiving the multi-month bills. Tuesday’s release said if customers have difficulty paying their bills, they can discuss payment plan options by calling 919-542-8270. Chatham County recommends water bills are paid through their online portal or at 192 West Street in Pittsboro.

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