Municipal Department
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities
Serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
Population served
391,900 people (EPA SDWIS PWS ID NC0234010; 2026 active CWS record).
State system code
FIPS 37
Billing frequency
Bimonthly for typical accounts, with the official page noting that some recent cycles have extended beyond 60 days; bill timing can therefore vary by account and reading cycle.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities operates as a municipal department serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. 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 Volume-based municipal water and sewer pricing with fixed readiness-to-serve charges that vary by meter size. The City says water and sewer costs are driven by usage, while every meter also carries a monthly readiness-to-serve charge; FY27 rate and fee materials became effective in July 2026.. Bills are generated bimonthly for typical accounts, with the official page noting that some recent cycles have extended beyond 60 days; bill timing can therefore vary by account and reading cycle., and a typical residential cost reference is A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. As a complete 2026 total because the City’s current FY27 manual uses meter-size readiness charges and separate water, sewer, stormwater, and possible account charges. The City reports that the FY2026-27 rate changes increase the average residential customer by approximately $2.93 per month, but the reviewed public pages do not provide one representative 5,000-7,000 gallon total.. 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 billed with the utility account and is based on the prevailing metered water volume together with fixed readiness-to-serve charges. The City explains that water and sewer rates fund treatment, distribution, and collection and that the bill varies as seasonal consumption changes; the reviewed pages do not publish a universal winter-average sewer formula or a fixed percentage tie-in.
Meter and infrastructure notes
Meters are generally located in front yards for Utilities access. The reviewed public pages explain the monthly readiness-to-serve component and usage-based billing but do not identify an AMI/AMR radio vendor, hourly transmission cadence, or universal physical-reading schedule.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
336-727-8000 through CityLink, or 311 within Winston-Salem city limits. The Utilities FAQ directs customers to CityLink for emergency odors, possible ruptured or clogged sewer lines, water testing, and utility questions; the reviewed pages do not publish a separate water-only after-hours number.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is listed here as a municipal department. 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.