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Important Information For Our CustomersBilling FactsRate Structure
 Customers who use less than 1300 cubic feet per four-month billing period are charged $31.97 plus a sewer charge. Customers who use over 1300 cubic feet per four month billing cycle are charged $2.45 per 100 cubic feet plus a sewer charge.
Tier I customers are defined as those customers who utilize in excess of 120,000 cubic feet of water per monthly billing cycle plus a sewer charge.
Tier II customers are defined as those customers who utilize in excess of 600,000 cubic feet of water per monthly billing cycle plus a sewer charge.
Tier I and Tier II large user rates apply to all water usage for those customers who meet the user definition. Tier I large user rate is $4.44 per 100 cubic feet. Tier II large user rate is $5.13 per 100 cubic feet. Sewer charge is 100% of the water charge.
NOTE: 100 cubic feet is equal to 748 gallons.
Charges also exist for unmetered properties, vacant lots, air conditioning, refrigeration, fire services, and material and labor. For more information regarding the above charges, contact our Customer Service Division and request a copy of our rate chart.
Water and sewer charges are billed three times a year, or once every four months. The billing cycle begins in November and ends in October of the following year. Annual charges such as vacant lots, air conditioning, refrigeration, and fire service charges are billed once per year before the end of May and cover the entire calendar year. All material and labor charges are billed monthly.
Billing PoliciesOur Customer Service Division is open from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. You can receive answers to your billing and service questions by visiting us at 35 Erie Blvd., Albany; or, by calling us at 434-5305 / 5315 / 5316 .
You MUST contact our Customer Service Division with your billing questions at least 15 days before the due date on your bill so billing adjustments can be made before a penalty is assessed. A 1% monthly finance charge (or 12% annually) is currently charged on any unpaid accounts (those not paid within 30 days of the date billed) based on the average monthly balance of the account.
This finance charge will remain unchanged. A one time penalty of 5% is currently charged to all accounts not paid within 30 days of the initial date of billing. An additional penalty of 5% is currently charged to all accounts delinquent as of the roll over date each year and, as such, subject to rollover and collection by the City of Albany on the City’s general taxes.
These penalties will remain unchanged. Contact our Customer Service Division first with your questions and concerns. If you’re not satisfied, a written complaint procedure exists. Any person aggrieved by a bill for water consumption and/or sewer rents may file a complaint with the Water Bill Review Committee within 30 days from the date of the bill. Complaint forms are available from the City Clerk, Room 202, City Hall Albany, New York, and our Customer Service Division.
Excavation PolicyIt is the official policy of the City of Albany Department of Water and Water Supply that restoration or repair of any special landscaping, steps or other structures on or within the City of Albany right-of-way or easement shall be the responsibility, at their expense, to maintain or replace all structures altered or removed due to an excavation by the City of Albany Water Department.
Any walkways and driveways damaged or removed will be replaced by the Department using standard City of Albany restoration materials only. Such materials include concrete, and red brick. Any custom landscaping such as concrete, slate, retaining walls, etc., will be the responsibillity of the property owner, and the work to be performed with such materials by the property owner or a contractor hired by the property owner will be solely at the property owner’s expense.
All lawn area restorations will be restored by the Department with standard City of Albany supplied topsoil and seeds only. It is the responsibility of the property owner to water and maintain the lawn after restoration is complete.
The repair work does not impose liability upon the City or its agents and they shall be held harmless from any claim related to the repair work. Under Albany City Code, it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the water service from the city-owned water main to its point of entry into the property. However, as a courtesy, under the current policy, the City of Albany will repair that portion of the water service from the City main to-but not including-the curb box. The property owner is responsible for repair of the remainder of the service line from the curb box to the point of entry into the property.
Depending upon time and available resources - and solely at the discretion of the Department - the City may agree to make repairs, once a consent form has been properly executed, and will bill the property owner for time and materials. Work performed by the City of Albany Department of Water and Water Supply does not alter any responsibility of the property owner in any manner with respect to future claims. The Commissioner or his designee shall have the discretion to require installation of a new water service, from the curb box to the water main, if the old service line has been determined to be lead and has been disconnected from the water main.
Water Department ServicesUpon written request from the property owner and in his or her presence, we will shut off the water to the property. Contact our Maintenance & Repair Division at 434-5322 weekdays (7:30 A.M. - 12:00 MIDNIGHT).
If you have an emergency, contact us at 462-4004 any time day or night. We cannot shut off water to occupied buildings. We also provide customers with water meters for homes, businesses, and hydrants.
If you have any metering questions, contact our Metering Division for assistance. Fees are charged for some of the above services. You can obtain rate charts from our Customer Service Division or from our Maintenance & Repair Division.
Before you dig, the law requires you to call Dig Safely New York, Inc. at 1-800-962-7962 to locate our water mains and service lines and other utilities.
Customer ResponsibilityOnly the property owner can change the billing address or terminate service to his or her property. Written notification is required prior to this action. Send notice of address change to the Department of Water & Water Supply, 35 Erie Blvd., Albany, New York 12204. It is the customer’s responsibility to maintain his or her water service line and to protect from damage and keep accessible the water meter located on his or her property. All frozen meter replacements will be charged the cost of a new meter for the size currently in place, plus labor and equipment. Report all leaks or damage to us immediately. When we detect a damaged water meter, based on the available evidence and the fact that we no longer have an accurate meter reading, we may back-charge you at the unmetered rate to the last accurate meter reading. We ask for your assistance to ensure that your water and sewer bill is as accurate as possible. If you think that you are not being billed correctly, contact our Customer Service. Basic Creek ReservoirTo download an application for fishing at the Basic Creek Reservoir, please click here. |
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