Frequently Asked Questions

If you find a water leak and repair it, you may be eligible for an adjustment on the sewer portion of your bill. We only offer sewer adjustments because water from a leak typically does not enter the sewer system. We require proof of repair before granting a leak adjustment, and customers are eligible for one leak adjustment every three years.

Use the link below to submit a leak adjustment request, or call our Customer Service Department at (843) 727-6800.

Customers who fill a pool are eligible for an adjustment to the associated sewer charges once every five years. 

Customer Service (843) 727-6800 or send an email.

Yes! Sign up for AutoPay or complete the form on the back of your bill.

Sewer bills are based on water consumption and include a monthly minimum bill plus a volume charge for billable sewer usage above 2 Ccf (1,496 gallons).

Your water bill includes a monthly minimum charge plus a unit volume charge for water consumption above 2 Ccf (1,496 gallons).

The primary drivers of rate increases are the need to fund new and replacement infrastructure, and comply with new regulations. Many of our water mains, sewer lines, and treatment facilities are 50-100+ years old and have reached the end of their service life.

Replacing this aging infrastructure is necessary to maintain the level of service we all expect, but the cost is high.

We fund infrastructure by issuing revenue bonds and raising rates to repay the debt. Retained earnings and impact fee revenue provide some funding, but not enough to meet the needs. The cost of wide-scale infrastructure replacement and it’s impact on water and sewer rates is a challenge faced by utilities across the country.

Our water and sewer rate structures both include a minimum bill, which is a monthly charge for service availability and up to 2 Ccf (1,496 gallons) of water consumption.

The minimum bill is designed to recover the costs associated with making service available, including costs related to metering and billing and infrastructure. The water minimum bill also pays for the costs associated with providing water for fire protection, one of our key functions.

These costs remain constant regardless of whether you use any water in a billing period.

It is a separate water meter that is only used for irrigation. Because water used for irrigating does not flow into the sewer system, irrigation accounts are not billed for sewer.

If you frequently water your lawn or garden, or add water to a pool, you may want to consider applying for an irrigation meter.

Automated Meter Reading, or AMR, allows meters to be read automatically via a radio signal transmitted to a laptop in a CWS vehicle as it drives around town. Benefits include more precise meter reads and dramatically improved efficiency during meter reading.

Charleston Water System will waive the monthly sewer charge for new homes under construction until one of the following occurs:

• Actual sewer usage begins
• A certificate of occupancy is issued
• The maximum time period of 4 months has passed.

Upon receipt of a monthly bill, the homeowner should strike though the sewer charges, write the words “home under construction, Attention: Billing Dept.” and return with payment.

We have a statutory responsibility to provide water and sewer service in Charleston. Over the years, our Board of Commissioners has extended our services to other municipalities. This expansion increases risk, cost, and operational challenges, so we bill customers in these areas at a higher rate.

Frequent Q&A

• All of my neighbors around me pay Inside-City rates, and it doesn’t cost you more to serve me, so why charge me Outside-City rates? 

  Rates are based on municipality, and it’s not prudent to consider each customer’s physical location when developing a rate model.

• Are Outside-City rates a ploy to make people annex into the city of Charleston?
  No. Our rate structure is an industry-standard model that provides equity for all users. The City mentions our rates as a benefit of annexation as marketing.

• How can I tell if a property pays an Inside-City or Outside-City rate?
  Inside-City customers have a green garbage can.