Sarasota County Public Utilities
Unincorporated Sarasota County
Population reference
The County reports approximately 104,530 water connections and 91,989 wastewater connections; its Public Utilities Department identifies about 268,026 drinking-water customers in the unincorporated county. The connection and customer counts are different measures and are retained as published rather than converted into a speculative household population.
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 continuous billing. Bills are mailed monthly by geographic area, approximately the same day each month, although dates vary for weekends and holidays; customers cannot choose the billing date.
- Rate structure
- FY2026 monthly fixed-account plus readiness-to-serve charges and increasing block consumption tiers. The current resolution lists a $3.20 monthly account charge, $19.58 monthly water readiness-to-serve charge, and water consumption at $3.36 per 1,000 gallons for 0–4,000 gallons, $4.23 for 4,001–8,000, $7.33 for 8,001–12,000, $12.13 for 12,001–18,000, and $16.94 above 18,000 gallons. Wastewater is separately structured with a $1.00 monthly quality fee, $23.60 individually metered readiness-to-serve charge, and $11.96 per 1,000 gallons.
- Residential cost reference
- Using the published FY2026 rates and a simple 5,000-gallon example, water is approximately $40.45 before taxes or other charges: $3.20 account charge + $19.58 readiness-to-serve + four thousand gallons at $3.36 plus one thousand at $4.23. Wastewater is approximately $84.40: $1.00 quality fee + $23.60 readiness-to-serve + five thousand gallons at $11.96. The combined illustrative total is approximately $124.85 before taxes, reuse, assessments, or property-specific charges.
- Wastewater and sewer calculation
- For individually metered wastewater customers, the current rate resolution uses a $23.60 monthly readiness-to-serve charge, a $1.00-per-EDU monthly wastewater quality fee, and $11.96 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater consumption. The public FY2026 schedule does not state a universal winter-average formula on the customer page; therefore the record does not invent one. A concealed leak, abnormal event, or initial pool fill that did not enter the sewer may qualify for a wastewater adjustment under the County's billing-adjustment policy.
- Meter reading
- Sarasota County is replacing more than 100,000 Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The February 2026 State of the Utility report says the program began in 2023, was approximately 40% complete, uses County staff and a third-party contractor, provides real-time cellular readings, and is expected to finish by FY2029. During the transition, the County still performs scheduled meter reads and may estimate a bill when a vehicle, heavy rain, or landscaping prevents access; no single universal read day or hourly interval is published.
- New-account deposit
- A security deposit is required to establish a new account and is collected or billed with the application. The County does not publish one universal dollar amount on the current customer-service page; it may waive the deposit after an identity check and other requirements, and may require a new, increased, or cash-in-advance deposit based on the customer's or location's payment history. Deposits are not negotiable or transferable and are credited to the account after 24 consecutive months of on-time payments, with accrued interest at a Board-approved rate.
- Activation or transfer fee
- A new-service application fee is required, but the current public application instructions do not state its dollar amount. Owners must provide proof of ownership and tenants a signed lease or qualifying management documentation. Applications received before noon Monday–Thursday or before 4:00 p.m. Friday qualify for same-day activation; later complete applications receive next-business-day activation. Move/transfer requests are available through the CSS portal.
Context, not a score
How documentation coverage compares
This profile
100%
overview fields with research notes
Florida
60%
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
- Sarasota County Public 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.