Texarkana Water Utilities wants to make it easier for you to pay your monthly bill.

Thats welcome news.

Anyone who has had to negotiate TWUs single drive-through payment window, especially on the final days for payments and late payments each month, knows how difficult in can be. Frequently, the line backs up into and down the street in front of the TWU building. And cars coming from the opposite direction frequently block the other lane, hoping some kind soul will let them break into the line at the drive-through.

It can be a mess.

TWU already gives customers the option of having their monthly payments deducted from their bank accounts and allows customers to pay at Regions Bank branches, but more is needed.

So TWU is working on a way for customers to pay online with a credit card. The system should be up and running in June.

The water utility is also looking at expanding drive-through windows at the TWU office, setting up manned satellite pay stations and providing payment drop boxes for their customers convenience.

We applaud these efforts.

But there is one more thing TWU should consider.

The monthly TWU statements arrive in the mail on what is little more than a large postcard. There is no return envelope to facilitate payments by mail.

Sending the bill in an envelope, with a return envelope, as most utilities already do, would go a long way toward reducing congestion at the payment window.