The grand opening of the Dallas County Water and Sewer Authority’s new payment center on Old Montgomery Highway opened new possibilities for customers and employees.

The new facility, General Manager David Hamm said, will give workers more space and make payments much easier for the 30 to 40 customers the office averages each day.

“We have a lot more office space, which helps everyone out,” he said. “And we have the addition of the drive through for customers as well. Nobody likes getting out and having to pay bills in the rain, so this will help them out too.”

The old building, Hamm said, was built in 1972 and was starting to show its age. Fortunately, he said money left over from other projects allowed them to construct a new facility.

“This was part of an upgrade that has come in steps since 2006,” he said. “We started with water upgrades and then went to the sewer upgrades. We had some money left over after the water upgrades and saw that we needed to update the building.”

The old building, Hamm said, was barely handicapped accessible. This he said, was one of the first things he and Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood engineers focused on when constructing the new facility.

Wheeler Crook, who supervised the project, said it took roughly three months of planning and nine months of construction. One of his top priorities, he said, was added convenience across the board.

“It’s all about making the employees comfortable and making it easier for the customers to pay their bills. We’re proud of the way it has come together.”

When asked about his favorite new addition, Hamm had no hesitation.

“I’m really proud of the new drive through,” he said. “It really gives  the customer a  convenience we haven’t had before.”

Other added conveniences include the authority’s new capability to accept Western Union. They also accept gas and AT&T payments as well.