Public Water Authority
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC)
Serving City of Boston
Population served
BWSC's official rate documentation describes approximately 90,000 active water accounts serving Boston's nearly 650,000 residents, plus a large daytime and commercial population. The utility serves the City of Boston retail water, sewer, and stormwater territory and purchases treated drinking water and wastewater transportation capacity from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
State system code
FIPS 25
Billing frequency
Monthly. BWSC transitioned from quarterly billing to monthly billing in 1993, and the current billing-system FAQ explains that the new system issues one monthly bill for multiple water services/meters at a property where applicable. Monthly bills show meter readings, consumption history, sewer-abatement information, and the due date used for delinquency calculations.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) operates as a public water authority serving City of Boston. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Increasing block rates based on average daily consumption, with separate water and sewer rates per 1,000 cubic feet and per 1,000 gallons, plus a monthly stormwater charge of $9.06 per Equivalent Residential Unit. For 2026, the first 19 cubic feet/day is $70.19 per 1,000 cubic feet water and $66.68 sewer; the next 20 is $74.96 water and $77.87 sewer; the next 50, next 260, next 950, and usage over 1,299 cubic feet/day carry progressively higher published rates. The schedule is implemented January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, with no separate seasonal or drought surcharge shown on the residential table.. Bills are generated monthly. bwsc transitioned from quarterly billing to monthly billing in 1993, and the current billing-system faq explains that the new system issues one monthly bill for multiple water services/meters at a property where applicable. monthly bills show meter readings, consumption history, sewer-abatement information, and the due date used for delinquency calculations., and a typical residential cost reference is Using the 2026 BWSC rate table and approximately 5,000-7,000 gallons per month, a typical small residential account is approximately $100-$145 per month before unusual fees, account-specific meter conditions, or a different stormwater ERU allocation. The estimate reflects the two-tier-plus increasing-block water and sewer charges and the $9.06 monthly residential stormwater charge; BWSC's actual bill depends on the average daily consumption tier and service configuration.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
Sewer is calculated from the metered water consumption at the applicable average-daily-use tier. BWSC's 2026 sewer rates range from $66.68 per 1,000 cubic feet/$8.914 per 1,000 gallons in the first tier to $126.03 per 1,000 cubic feet/$16.849 per 1,000 gallons above 1,299 cubic feet/day. A customer may qualify for a sewer abatement when metered water enters the property but does not enter BWSC's sewer system; the current billing system displays the abatement meter's consumption and credit. Stormwater is a separate $9.06 per ERU monthly charge, not a percentage of sewer usage, and no standard residential winter-average formula is published.
Meter and infrastructure notes
BWSC bills monthly and uses automated meter reading, including a meter transmission unit (MTU) or remote-reading device that lets the Commission collect reads without routine interior access. A denied-access or non-transmitting meter can lead to estimated usage, a required inspection, and later manual-reading or replacement costs; the current 2026 special-fee page lists meter-transmission installation as cost basis and a 5/8-inch meter test at $490. Meter Installation and Meter Shops operate Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The public billing materials do not promise hourly AMI data for every premise; the verified cadence is monthly billing with remote/AMR reads and usage history available in the CSS Portal.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
Call BWSC's 24-hour Emergency Line at 617-989-7000 for water-main breaks, street or property leaks, sewer backups, sanitary sewer overflows, frozen or burst pipes, or other water and sewer emergencies. BWSC Operations is also listed at 617-989-7900 for 24/7 operational support. Routine Customer Service is 617-989-7800 during weekday business hours; a private leak on the owner's side of the service is generally the property owner's responsibility.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for City of Boston
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) is listed here as a public water authority. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.