Understanding Your Sewer Bill

Your sewer bill is based either on the volume of water you consume or the number of fixtures at your property. Most water usage is metered. The Hyannis Water System provides the Water Pollution Control Division with this information in the form of "hundreds cubic feet" of water used. The Barnstable Fire District Water Department provides the information in the form of "1000’s of gallons" of water used. 

All sewer bills are calculated on the "hundred cubic feet" basis.

 Use the formulas below to calculate the number of gallons consumed if your sewer bill does not match your water bill

Multiply:

The number of hundred cubic feet billed x 100 x 7.48 gallons per cubic foot = gallons used

or

The number of gallons used x 1.3369 = Hundred cubic feet (ccf)

Your bill is based on your usage expressed in hundreds of cubic feet multiplied by the appropriate sewer usage rate. For example, is a homeowner uses 46,000 cubic feet of water during a billing cycle, his bill would be:

46 x rate = amount due

Sewer usage rates differ according to the following usage categories:

Residential/Commercial 1:

These are all residential properties and commercial properties such as office buildings, retail shops.

Sewer rate = $6.69 / hundred cubic feet

Commercial 2: These are commercial properties such as hospitals, motels, nursing homes, marinas.

Sewer rate = $7.46 / hundred cubic feet

Commercial 3: These are commercial properties such as restaurants, industrial laundries, hotels with restaurants, supermarkets.

Sewer rate = $8.32 / hundred cubic feet

 Fixtured: These are residential or commercial properties that do not have water meters and are billed according to the number of fixtures, i.e., sinks, toilets, showers, dishwashers, washing machines. The sewer rate is $57.92 per fixture per year.

Red Lilly Pond Communal System: $864.60 (Flat rate per year)

Minimum Charge: If a property uses no water in a year the minimum charge is $72.54/year.