Decatur Utilities
Decatur and Decatur Utilities water/wastewater service areas
Population reference
77,103 people (EPA SDWA system estimate)
Billing detail
Broad public detail found
Official destination
Open provider website ↗Provider-specific findings
Billing and account research from public material
Provider-specific research notes are displayed separately from fields that contain only an unavailable-information marker. Read qualifiers in each note and verify current account terms with the provider.
- Billing frequency
- Monthly; DU bills for approximately 30 days of utility service. The statement displays the service dates, due date, and current charges.
- Rate structure
- Increasing-block metered water plus fixed meter charge, with a separate fixed-plus-volume wastewater rate. The June 2026 residential rate sheet lists water at $1.6519 per 1,000 gallons for the first 10,000 gallons, $1.5140 for the next 10,000, then lower blocks; a 5/8-inch water meter has a $15.55 monthly access fee. Wastewater is $3.2550 per 1,000 gallons plus a $30.00 5/8-inch meter fee.
- Residential cost reference
- Approximately $74.99 per month for 6,000 gallons on a 5/8-inch meter under the June 2026 sheet: water $15.55 + (6 x $1.6519) = $25.46, wastewater $30.00 + (6 x $3.2550) = $49.53. The estimate excludes electricity, gas, refuse, and any summer wastewater cap effect.
- Wastewater and sewer calculation
- Wastewater is billed from metered water use at $3.2550 per 1,000 gallons plus the meter-size wastewater access fee. During April-September billing, DU caps the residential wastewater portion using average winter usage because outdoor watering, pools, and car washing can increase summer water consumption; the exact customer cap depends on the winter average.
- Meter reading
- DU’s SmartHub system provides current and historical billing information plus daily, monthly, and annual usage graphs, but the reviewed water pages do not identify the physical meter technology or a fixed route-read schedule. The bill covers approximately 30 days of service.
- New-account deposit
- Residential deposits are $20 for water and $40 for wastewater; if all four DU services are received, the listed total deposit is $230. DU may waive residential deposits with a favorable credit report. Deposits are refunded after five years of good payment history with no collection activity and no more than one late payment, or upon termination; at termination, an unpaid deposit is applied to the final bill and remaining credit is mailed.
- Activation or transfer fee
- A $15 setup fee per meter applies. Residential applicants must provide photo ID, a second form of identification, and ownership/lease documents; customers with five years of good service and payment history may transfer with 24 hours’ notice, while shorter histories may require an office visit and deposit determination.
Context, not a score
How documentation coverage compares
This profile
100%
overview fields with research notes
Alabama
35%
records with any overview detail
National index
50%
records with any overview detail
Coverage measures what this directory documented. It does not measure service quality, affordability, or regulatory compliance.
Research record
Broad public detail found
7 of 7 fields in this section contain provider-specific public detail in dataset August 1, 2026.
Documented
100%
Primary verification routes
- Decatur Utilities public website ↗
Provider-controlled destination used to confirm current customer instructions.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System ↗
Federal background on public water-system records and their limitations.