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All users of the sanitary sewer system are charged the Sanitary District Unit Charge. The charge is billed on the annual County tax statement. WEP bills tax exempt properties directly since they receive no tax statement.

What’s a unit?

A unit is the amount of water discharged to the sewer system from a typical household. The current unit is equal to 140,000 gallons per year. It is based on the following formula:
 
Unit = 150 gal/person/day x 2.55 people/household x 365 days/year
      = 140,000 gallons

What about septic systems?

Users on septic systems are not assessed a unit charge.

How much does it cost?

Single family households are charged one unit per year. Multiple-family dwellings (such as apartments) are charged 0.75 units per year per dwelling. Therefore, a two-family house receives a total charge of 1.5 units.

Businesses, which typically discharge more water than households, receive a unit charge based on the amount of water that they use. Businesses that use a large volume of water for irrigation, HVAC, or other processes that do not return water to the sanitary sewer system can receive a credit toward their unit charge once they show the amount diverted. Generally a flow meter is required to receive a credit.

Unit charge rates are adjusted annually to account for fluctuations in costs of operating the sewer system. The City of Syracuse develops its rates independently of the County, as shown in the following table. Rates are generally established in November of the year preceding the levy.
 

For more information, please contact Sandra Tuori-Bell, 315-435-2260.