Start with the billing dates and meter readings, then separate fixed service fees from charges tied to water use. Sewer, stormwater, credits, and past balances may each be calculated differently, so use the bill’s units and your utility’s current tariff—not another city’s example—to verify what you owe.
Find the billing period and account details
First confirm that the service address and account number match the property. Locate the service-period start and end dates, the bill’s issue date, the due date, and the number of days covered. Bills covering different numbers of days are not directly comparable by total alone.
Then find the meter identifier, previous and current reading dates and values, and the billed usage. Look for a status such as actual or estimated. The codes are utility-specific: Brookline, for example, uses A for an actual read, E for an estimated read, and S for a set or meter change; another provider may use different codes. If the bill is estimated, ask the utility how and when it will reconcile the estimate.
Understand the usage unit
Read the unit printed beside the usage total before comparing it with another bill or period. Utilities may bill in gallons, cubic metres, or other units. CCF means 100 cubic feet; Portland and San Francisco explain that one CCF equals 748 gallons. See the Portland bill guide and San Francisco bill guide.
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Use any usage-history graph on the bill to compare similar seasons and service-period lengths. A summer period may include outdoor watering, while a shorter billing period may naturally show fewer total units. Compare the daily average or convert units when periods or measurement units differ.
Sort charges by what they pay for
Names and formulas vary by utility. A bill commonly combines fixed service charges, charges based on measured or calculated volume, and local fees or adjustments.
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Water service or base charge
A water service charge can cover account and system costs regardless of how much water was used in the period. Some utilities set it partly by meter size, so a low- or zero-use bill can still include this charge. San Francisco describes its water service charge as a fixed charge based on the water-meter size; that is San Francisco’s method, not a universal rule.
Water use or volume charge
This charge tracks water consumption and is generally calculated using the billed volume and the tariff’s rate or rates. Some utilities use tiers, with a different rate after a usage threshold. San Francisco publishes a local two-tier structure; do not assume its thresholds or rates apply elsewhere. Check the rate schedule for your customer class and the period covered by the bill.
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Sewer or wastewater charges
Wastewater charges may include a fixed service component, a volume-based component, or both. Because most homes do not have a separate wastewater meter, a utility may estimate sewer volume from water use using a flow factor, seasonal average, or another local formula. This is one reason a sewer line can differ from the water-use charge.
For example, San Francisco uses a 90% flow factor for single-family residential and commercial accounts and 95% for multifamily residential accounts. These are San Francisco figures, not general sewer-billing standards. Portland says residential sewer charges are based on winter average water use or actual water use, whichever is lower. San Diego likewise describes an individualized single-family sewer rate based on winter-period water use, primarily December through March. Check your own utility’s explanation for the exact formula and applicable customer class.
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Stormwater or drainage
A stormwater charge may help fund runoff collection and drainage infrastructure. It can be based on developed or impervious property area rather than the amount of tap water used, so it may not rise or fall with water consumption.
Other charges, credits, and balances
Local fees, taxes, assistance adjustments, credits, late interest, and past balances may appear alongside current service charges. Their names and purposes depend on the utility. Separate the current-charges subtotal from the total account balance so you can see whether the amount due includes an earlier unpaid balance, interest, or a credit.
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Reconcile the total amount due
- Add the current-period water, sewer, stormwater, and other charge lines.
- Apply any credits or adjustments as shown; confirm that credits reduce, rather than increase, the subtotal.
- Account for any prior balance or interest to reach the total amount due.
- Compare your arithmetic with the bill and check whether the amount due is the current-period subtotal or the full account balance.
If a line is unclear, use the utility’s bill guide or ask the utility to explain the calculation and the applicable tariff line.
Check an unexpectedly high bill
Work from the meter data outward: confirm the service period, reading dates and values, read status, usage unit, and billed total. Compare use with similar periods in the bill history, allowing for season and period length. Then check whether the tariff or a rate changed during the billing period; some utilities prorate a change.
- If the read is estimated, ask how the estimate was made and when an actual read will adjust it.
- If consumption rose unexpectedly, check for leaks or continuous flow and ask whether the utility can provide usage data or arrange a meter check.
- Ask whether a leak adjustment or assistance program is available and what documentation or eligibility rules apply.
- If you dispute a charge, ask promptly about the utility’s review process and deadline. San Francisco, for example, says a bill is considered a proper charge unless protested to its Water Department within 15 days after production; this is a local rule, not a general deadline.
Use the current tariff and customer guidance published by the utility named on the bill. Rates, methods, adjustment rules, and deadlines can change and differ by location and customer class.
Compare bills on the right basis
When comparing bills from different periods or utilities, compare the underlying inputs rather than the total alone:
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- Service-period length and whether the readings are actual or estimated.
- Usage units and any conversion needed to make them comparable.
- Fixed service charges and what determines them, such as meter size.
- Volume rates, tiers, and the customer class covered by the tariff.
- The sewer-volume formula, including any seasonal average or flow factor.
- Whether stormwater is charged separately and how its amount is determined.
- Local fees, credits, assistance, and the process for reviewing a bill.
Portland’s published rates, for example, have separate effective periods, including July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026 and July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027. They apply locally and should not be used to interpret another utility’s bill. For any comparison, match the location, customer class, unit, and effective period using the utility’s current rate schedule.
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