About Your Bill

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GO TO: About Your Bill | How to Read Your Bill | Payment Options | Billing Dispute | Payment Arrangement

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About Your Combined Bill for Drinking Water & Sewer

Your combined water-and-sewer bill contains charges from two separate City agencies - the Board of Water Supply (BWS) and the Department of Environmental Services (ENV). This page provides information about each agency, the charges billed by each, and how to contact each one.

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Go to: Drinking Water Service & Charges | Sewer Service & Charges

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1. BWS Drinking Water Service & Charges (PDF)

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) provides Oahu residents with drinking water. It ensures that safe drinking water flows from your tap each time you open a water faucet connected to its system.

BWS Is A Semi-Autonomous City Agency

• Overseen by a seven-member Board of Directors that determines its policies and direction:
  • Five at-large members are appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council.
  • The two other ex-officio members are the Director of the State Dept. of Transportation and the Director of the City Dept. of Facility Maintenance.
• Financially self-supporting. BWS receives NO CITY TAX DOLLARS to fund its operations. BWS revenue comes from water rates charged to customers.
• Water rates are proposed by BWS and approved by the BWS Board.

BWS Water Service Billing

Two types of monthly water charges:

• Customer Charge based on your water meter size. This charge used to be the flat-rate Billing Charge.
• Usage charge — per 1,000 gallons of water — based on monthly reads from your water meter.

A four-tier residential rate structure helps to make water affordable and encourages conservation. An Essential Needs Tier charges all customers a below-cost rate for the first 2,000 gallons of water used. Thereafter, as usage increases, the rates also rise.

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2. ENV Sewer Service & Charges (PDF)

The City Department of Environmental Services (ENV) manages Oahu's wastewater and solid waste systems. ENV ensures that each time water goes down your home drain, it flows to a treatment plant where it is treated and safely released into the environment or recycled.

ENV Is A City Agency

• ENV's direction and policy is overseen by the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu. Its budget is reviewed and adopted by the City Council.
• ENV wastewater is supported by sewer service revenues, and ENV solid waste by disposal fees and City tax dollars.
• Sewer service rates are proposed by ENV and approved by the City Council.

ENV Sewer Service Billing

Your sewer bill consists of two types of charges:

• Base Charge: Represents fixed costs to operate and maintain the sewer system, and
• Sewer Volume Charge: (per 1,000 gallons of water used based on monthly water usage reads). This charge represents the cost of transporting and treating the wastewater.
• The volume charge is reduced by a 20% irrigation factor for those residents who do not have a submeter.

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Questions about Your Bill

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Updated: 10/28/2021