Upon receipt of your water and sewer bill, please review it carefully. A bill will be considered a proper charge unless a protest is made to the Water Department within fifteen days after the bill is produced. If you have a question about your bill or need customer assistance, please call (415) 551-3090.
Deposit Bill
SFPUC Customer Services may require a deposit as a condition for granting, continuing or restoring water service. A deposit must be paid within (10) ten days to avoid disconnection of water service.
Bill Due Date
Regular bills are due 15 days from the date of the bill. Closing bills are also due 15 days from the date of the bill.
If you do not agree with the charges on your bill, payment should be made "under protest" to avoid delinquency collection action. Please make your payment and use the comment section on the back of the bill stub to make a statement regarding the disputed charges or call Customer Services at (415) 551-3000. The Bureau will then investigate the charges and will work with you to resolve the situation. Pending resolution, any overpayment will be credited to your account.
Past Due Bill
A LATE PAYMENT PENALTY FEE IS CHARGED ON AN ACCOUNT WITH A PAST DUE BALANCE. The fee is $3.00 plus one-half of one percent (1/2%) of the total past due balance. A delinquent account may be subject to disconnection of water service and/or assessment of lien against the property.
When payment is past due on an account, SFPUC Customer Services may discontinue water service and/or assess a lien against the property. Any previous balance shown on your bill is already past due. DISPUTED BILLS SHOULD BE PAID UNDER PROTEST TO AVOID INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE and/or ASSESSMENT OF LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY.
WHERE WATER SERVICE IS TO BE DISCONTINUED DUE TO NON-PAYMENT, a 48-Hour notice is first posted on the premises. WHERE WATER SERVICE IS DISCONTINUED, full payment of amount due plus shut-off/turn-on fees must be made in person between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at SFPUC Customer Services located at 1155 Market Street, (between 7th and 8th Streets) prior to the restoration of water service. WATER SERVICE IS NOT GUARANTEED TO BE RESTORED ON THE SAME DAY.
WHERE A LIEN IS TO BE ASSESSED AGAINST A PROPERTY, lien warning notices are sent to the customer and property owner, and a lien hearing is held once a month. WHEN A LIEN IS RECORDED, an administrative fee is charged and interest accrues. Removal of the lien requires payment of the administrative fee and interest charges associated with the lien as well as the overdue water and sewer charges. Liens not paid during the fiscal year in which they were created are transferred to the Tax Collector for collection. To pay a lien that has not yet been transferred to the Tax Collector, call SFPUC Customer Services at 551-3000 to determine the full amount due.
High Bill Allowance
The customer is solely responsible for all water use that occurs beyond the Department's meter. In order to encourage prompt repair of leaking pipes and fixtures, the Department may grant an allowance for a portion of an excessively high bill resulting from leaks beyond the meter. Such allowance will be granted only when the problem is reported by the customer in a timely manner, evidence clearly shows that the high bill was caused by a leak, and repairs have been promptly made and reported to the Department. To appeal for high bill allowance due to leak, please call (415) 551-4780.
