Utility Billing

FAQs

When is the next Water and Sewer Bill due?
April 5, 2012

How do I pay my Water and Sewer Bill?
You may pay your water and sewer bills with your Visa or MasterCard in person or over the phone.  Automatic payment of bills, or Autopay, can also be arranged.  To set up Autopay, you must first visit the Finance Department at City Hall in person to provide proper authorization.  Please bring the credit or debit card you will use to pay with you.  For any questions pertaining to your utility bill, please call Debra Patton at (415) 508-2154 or send her an e-mail at dpatton@ci.brisbane.ca.us.

How do you set up your water and sewer bills to be paid automatically?  
You will need to come into City Hall to have Debra Patton set that up for you.

When are water and sewer bills sent out and due?   
Water and sewer services are billed bi-monthly. The bills usually arrive the first week of every odd-numbered month (January, March, May, July, September, and November), and are due by the 5th of every even-numbered month (February, April, June, August, October, and December).  The meters are read every two months, approximately 1 week prior to the bills being sent out.

Water and sewer bills are due upon receipt. However, there is approximately a 30 - 35 day grace period. After this grace period, the City charges a late charge and sends out a 5-day reminder notice. If the bill is not paid within 5 days, another late charge is added to the bill and a 72-hour notice is mailed (a duplicate notice is posted on the door to the residence). If the bill is not paid within 72 hours the City shuts off the water until the bill is paid. If the water needs to be turned back on, there is an additional charge for this and the City is only able to schedule this during normal working hours of the Public Works Water Team. Therefore, the bill will need to be paid prior to 3:00 pm, except on Fridays when City Hall closes at 1:00pm.

How are rates measured?  
Water service is billed based upon the number of units you use for a 2-month period. The City has implemented progressive rate structures to encourage individuals to conserve water. Therefore, the more water you use, the higher your bill will be. (A unit of water is 100 cubic ft., or approximately 748 gallons).  See below for the current residential, commercial, and irrigation water rate tables that were implemented in December of 2011.  Click here for PDF.

Residential sewer service is billed based upon the number of units of water you use during the months of October, November, December, and January. The reason for this is, during the winter, most people do not use water for outside landscaping and we capture the amount of water actually flowing through the system. The new winter average goes into effect the April after the previous winter. Then there is no change in your sewer bill until the following April. See below for the current sewer rate table, also implemented in December of 2011.  Click here for PDF.

How do I set up a new account?   
To set up a new account, please call Debra at (415) 508-2154 or see her in person at the Finance Counter at City Hall. At the time of connection, the City requests a $70 deposit, along with $20 for new account activation. The $70 deposit is returned to you one year after you have your water turned on if you have paid your bill on time. It is returned as a credit on your bi-monthly bill.

What about other utilities and services?

• Gas & Electricity: www.pge.com
  • You may come in to City Hall to pay your PG&E bill.  For questions, please call Debra Patton at (415) 508-2154.
• Garbage: www.ssfscavenger.com
• Recycling: www.recycleworks.org
• Cable: www.comcast.net
• Newspapers:
  • www.sfgate.com
  • www.examiner.com
  • www.sanmateocountytimes.com