Public Water Authority
Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA)
Serving Onondaga County and surrounding OCWA service territory
Population served
350,000 people (EPA SDWIS PWS record; 2026 active CWS queue entry associated with OCWA).
State system code
FIPS 36
Billing frequency
Residential general service is normally billed quarterly, while OCWA rules allow monthly or quarterly meter reads and billing at the Authority’s discretion. Industrial and specialized schedules may be monthly.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA) operates as a public water authority serving Onondaga County and surrounding OCWA service territory. 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 OCWA uses schedule-based public-authority rates with fixed minimum/base charges and metered consumption, varying by customer class, meter size, and billing frequency. The 2026 rate library includes residential quarterly, commercial quarterly, industrial/agricultural monthly, municipal wholesale, fire-protection, and specialized schedules.. Bills are generated residential general service is normally billed quarterly, while ocwa rules allow monthly or quarterly meter reads and billing at the authority’s discretion. industrial and specialized schedules may be monthly., and a typical residential cost reference is A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. OCWA publishes the 2026 residential schedule as quarterly rate tables rather than one representative household total, and the system serves different meter sizes and classes. Customers should use OCWA’s official rate calculator with the account’s meter reading and divide the quarterly result by three for a monthly planning estimate.. 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
OCWA is a drinking-water authority and the reviewed customer pages do not establish a universal sewer bill, winter average, or percentage tie-in. Sewer charges may be assessed by a separate municipal or county provider depending on the property.
Meter and infrastructure notes
OCWA states that residential meters may be read monthly or quarterly and that customers can read the register themselves, generally in a basement, utility room, or meter pit. The reviewed pages do not identify an AMI/AMR vendor or hourly transmission cadence; the official portal provides bill and usage history.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
315-475-7601 for after-hours and weekend emergency answering service. The main office is 315-455-7061; OCWA’s contact page directs distribution-pipe leaks, meter repairs, and water-quality issues to the appropriate departments.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Onondaga County and surrounding OCWA service territory
Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA) 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.