Metro Water Services (MWS), Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Nashville-Davidson County and portions of surrounding counties
Population reference
The Metro Water and Sewer system provides retail water service to more than 225,000 metered accounts across Nashville and most of Davidson County; the 2025 credit disclosure identifies an estimated 712,334-person Metro service area for 2023. MWS also provides wholesale sewer treatment to surrounding communities and serves portions of nearby counties.
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. MWS bills water and wastewater together from the electronic meter reading, and Davidson County residents receive a stormwater user fee on the same bill. The statement shows the bill date, due date, current charges, replacement fees, meter information, usage history, and payment instructions.
- Rate structure
- Increasing-block residential tiers with fixed meter charges, 10% water and 10% sewer Infrastructure Replacement fees, and a 9.25% Tennessee sales tax on water sales. For 2026, a 5/8-inch meter has a $6.12 monthly water fixed charge and $9.78 sewer fixed charge; the first 2 CCF (1,496 gallons) are included in those fixed charges. Residential volumetric rates are $4.20/CCF for 3-6 CCF, $5.05/CCF for 7-10 CCF, and $6.31/CCF above 10 CCF; sewer volume is $7.02/CCF. Rates increased 3% on January 1, 2026 and appeared on February bills. Stormwater is a separate impervious-area tier.
- Residential cost reference
- For a standard 5/8-inch residential meter using 5,000-7,000 gallons (about 6.68-9.36 CCF), the 2026 water-and-sewer charges calculate to approximately $76-$112 before water sales tax and stormwater, or roughly $78-$116 after the 9.25% water tax and before the residential stormwater fee. A typical 2,001-6,000-square-foot impervious-area property adds $6 per month for stormwater, while the official stormwater tiers range from $0 to $11 for ordinary residential properties. Actual bills vary with meter size, exact CCF, sprinkler use, taxes, and payment or service fees.
- Wastewater and sewer calculation
- MWS bills sewer from the same metered water consumption, with a $9.78 5/8-inch fixed sewer charge and a $7.02/CCF 2026 residential volumetric sewer rate, plus a 10% Sewer Infrastructure Replacement fee. MWS provides a seasonal sewer adjustment for residential accounts during April-November: lawn sprinkling and car washing are presumed not to enter the sewer, so the maximum sewer charge is based on the January-February-March winter-quarter average plus 30%. This is commonly called the sprinkler credit and is designed to prevent outdoor summer water from being charged as wastewater. Davidson County stormwater is not sewer; it is separately based on impervious square footage.
- Meter reading
- MWS reads more than 220,000 water meters each month. The current bill guide says readings are captured by an electronic reading device, and the online Premium account provides smart-meter usage data, bill history, and downloadable consumption analysis. MWS's billing-review system flags negative usage, a 300% average increase, five months of zero usage, a 50% average decrease, missing readings, and duplicate readings for staff review; a field visit may inspect the meter for damage or visible leaks. Customers must keep the meter accessible at all times. The public materials do not promise hourly transmission for every residence, so the safest description is monthly electronic meter reading with smart-meter data available where the property has been upgraded.
- New-account deposit
- Ordinary residential start and transfer pages publish a nonrefundable service-initiation or transfer fee but do not list a residential security deposit. For commercial customers, MWS requires a cash deposit, bond, certificate of deposit, letter of credit, or other approved security before service; the amount is generally based on two months of estimated usage and can be increased when necessary to protect collection of revenue. Customers should confirm meter classification and any special construction, hydrant, fire-line, or development security requirement with 615-862-4600 before activation. A residential customer who moves in without notifying MWS can become responsible for water and sewer charges measured since the previous reading.
- Activation or transfer fee
- Residential customers pay a nonrefundable $35 service-initiation fee for guaranteed same-day service or $25 for service on any later day. The same $35/$25 schedule applies to a transfer to another address within the MWS service area. Customers should request or transfer service through MWS at 615-862-4600, provide the required identity/account information, and retain the confirmation number for a termination request. The 2026 rates page separately lists a $50 running-inside turn-on fee, so an occupied or flowing meter may cost more than the ordinary initiation/transfer charge.
Context, not a score
How documentation coverage compares
This profile
100%
overview fields with research notes
Tennessee
43%
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
- Metro Water Services (MWS), Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County 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.