Frequently Asked Questions

How is billing computed?

Our billing cycle is based on a ninety-day billing quarter (three months use). Your bill includes a basic service charge that is based on the size of your water service and water consumption registered through a meter. For more explanation about billing take a look of the Bill sample and minimum service charge chart.

Why do I have to pay a $30.00 initiation fee if I change residences?

The Suffolk County Water Authority is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation. In order to keep service costs low for our customers overall, we establish fees to cover costs that may be specific to certain services that most customers do not use. The initiation fee is a specific charge used to defray the cost incurred to establish a new account.

Why is my bill so high?

Most people use less water during the cooler seasons than the summer. If you have a sprinkler system, your bills will be higher during its use. You might have a leak in your home, even a toilet tank leak can add up to higher bills. How can you help?
(See Water Conservation)

If the billing is not consistent with your normal consumption, one of the first things we should do is double check the meter reading. If your water meter is located inside your home, you can check the meter reading yourself if you choose to. If the meter is located in a vault at the property line of your residence, please notify your Regional Office so that we can schedule a field representative to verify the reading.
(Regional Office numbers)

Why doesn't the Authority read my meter every billing period?

Water meters can be located either in the basement of your home or in a vault outside, usually near the curb area of your property.

The Authority requests that consumers who have meters located inside their homes read the meter and phone in that read to our READ H2O Program. Customers who participate in the READ H2O Program receive a $1.00 credit on their next bill. The toll-free number is open to receive your call 24 hours a day and can be called from any touchtone phone, for more information on our READ H2O Program Try the Read H20 System.

You may wonder why we do not read all of our meters ourselves. We do read about 175,000 meters located in vaults in the ground. In addition, we read inside meters that cannot be read by our customers. Experience has taught us that in this age with two-wage earners, obtaining inside-access to houses where many of our meters are located has been extremely difficult. Also, as a nonprofit, public benefit corporation, we try hard to keep costs reasonable and while no one has lost their job because of our READ H2O Program, we have been able to keep the meter reading work force from growing. This is an absolute necessity for keeping rates reasonable in a region where the cost of living is high. Of course, if you are unable to read your meter, or do not wish to do so, please contact your Regional Office and we will code your account to obtain a meter reading each quarter.

Authority personnel read meters located outside in vaults. You should not be receiving an estimated bill unless certain weather conditions (i.e. snow, leaves) occur or if the vault is covered with debris. Should you receive an estimated bill, please contact your
(Regional Office)