GEORGETOWN, Del., Nov. 15, 2005 – Put away the stamps and the envelopes. Sussex County is making it easier for its residents to pay their water and sewer bills in a snap.

Sussex County Council, at its Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005, meeting, approved a new payment system that will allow the county’s approximately 50,000 sewer and water customers to pay their quarterly bills via electronic bank drafts.

Those customers who elect to enroll in the program would allow the county each quarter to draw out of a pre-determined savings or checking account the amount they owe for their sewer and water service. That money would then be deposited electronically into a county account.

Sussex officials say the program is about offering convenience to customers, and it will save the county time from processing the thousands of paper checks that are mailed into the county’s Utility Billing office.

“It may even improve our collection percentages and reduce delinquencies,” said county Finance Director David B. Baker. “Sometimes people just forget to pay their bills. Hopefully, this will make it easier for them and save time.”

Customers will receive application forms in their next quarterly statements, which will go out in early January. Forms also will be available under the Utility Billing heading on the county’s Web site at sussexcountyde.gov. The program is voluntary, and only those customers who elect to use the service will have their quarterly obligations electronically drafted from their bank accounts.