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1. What is the basis for my sewer bill?

Property owners in Narragansett either have an Individual Sewage Disposal System (ISDS; which may be a cesspool, septic system, or an advanced on-site treatment system, all of which are regulated by the State Department of Environmental Management) , or are connected to the public sewer system. Sewer use billing is based on both an annual minimum charge and a usage charge, which is taken directly from the property’s water meter reading. The minimum charge includes the first 8,000 cubic feet (59,800 gallons) of water consumption, and then a consumption charge for usage that exceeds the initial 8,000 cubic feet. Roughly 83% of our customers fall within this minimum annual usage allotment. The current sewer usage rates may be found on the Wastewater Rates page. There are no adjustments allowed for outside water usage; the 8,000 cubic foot annual minimum threshold for sewer usage, when compared to the 6,000 cubic foot minimum threshold for water consumption, already provides for 2,000 cubic feet, or 15,000 gallons of “excess” use before the sewer excess charges are applied.

We have recently changed our billing format to make it easier for you to read and understand your water/sewer bill. Water meters are read on a quarterly basis, and bills are generated and mailed accordingly. The minimum charge is billed in advance, while the excess usage charge (if any) is billed in arrears (for each preceding quarter).
Wastewater Rates