WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) -  Wausau officials are forced to wait for their water money. That’s because nearly 18-hundred city households don’t pay their water bills. Director of Public Works and Utilities Brad Marquardt says that adds up to ver $740,000 for 2012 alone.

When that happens, city officials have to go through Marathon County, and have that money taken from property tax payments at the end of the year. That also leads to huge overdue charges for the property owner.

2012 had about $100,000 more dollars in delinquent bills than the previous year. The city eventually gets it’s money, but residents could save the overdue charges and having to pay extra property taxes if they paid their water bills on time.