Postcard utility bills are a thing of the past in Tamaqua as the borough's new utility billing system finally got underway this month.

Bills are now being printed on letter-size paper, making them easier to read and less likely to get lost in the mail."Our customers found the postcards difficult to read. Too many were being lost in the mail and they took hours to print," Tamaqua Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt said.He also noted that "Paper statements offer privacy, and laser printing makes them much easier to read. The entire process has been streamlined."The new system also offers consumers the ability to make online payments for water, sewer and trash bills, once they have a specific code, which will be included on future bills.Up and running for November's water bills, which were mailed out to customers in the South Ward section of town, the system didn't start without a hitch. The bills were all marked as "past due," causing a lot of confusion and a bit of anger from customers who make sure their bills are paid on time.Those customers were notified of the mistake through the borough's phone alert system as well as the information being posted online and in the Times News.The new system is being provided by Muni-Link, an easy-to-use utility billing software program specializing in municipal systems. The company does charge a $3 service fee for online payment, which does not go to the borough. They accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, or customers may make arrangements with their banks to make electronic payments through a checking account, a service most banks offer for free.Online services will also provide customers with the ability to monitor their payments as well as daily water usage. Online accounts may be set up at

www.tamaquaboro.authoritypay.com once you have a customer code. For now, codes are available at Tamaqua Borough Hall, 320 E. Broad St., Tamaqua, or by calling 570-668-0300 during regular business hours.Bills may still be mailed to or paid in person at borough hall, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is also a drop box for payments to the east of the front doors at borough hall. Credit card payments are also accepted for these payments."New billing systems and conversions always come with a few hiccups, so we appreciate how patient our customers have been," said Tim Zeigler, who works in the Tamaqua Area Water Authority's billing department.