How is a NYC water and sewer bill worked out?

Which building are you in, and who receives the bill?

The DEP bill goes to the property, not to an apartment. In a rental walk-up or a co-op high-rise, the owner or the co-op pays it as a single account. In a brownstone or two-family house, the owner pays it directly and can see every reading online. So if you rent, the bill itself is not yours to check or dispute. If you own, the three numbers that matter are your reading in hundreds of cubic feet, the rate, and the number of days in the bill period.

What goes into the rate?

From July 1, 2026, the New York City Water Board charges $5.35 per 100 cubic feet (HCF) for water. Sewer is billed at 159% of the water charge, which comes to $8.51, so the combined rate is $13.86 per HCF (Water Board rate schedule). One HCF is about 748 gallons. Meters are read in cubic feet, and automatic meter readers send a reading every four hours. Most customers get a bill every three months, with monthly billing available in My DEP Account (DEP billing FAQs). One DEP page shows a different combined figure. We used the Water Board’s schedule, which the Board calls the billing basis.

Legend: the numbers on this plate

• $13.86water + sewer per 100 cubic feet, from July 1, 2026NYC Water Board
• 159%sewer charge as a share of the water chargeNYC Water Board
• $0.49minimum water charge per day per meterNYC Water Board
• $1,412.60MCP flat charge per apartment per year, FY2027NYC Water Board

A sample bill, line by line

This is our arithmetic on the Water Board’s FY2027 rates, not a real bill. Say a house uses 10 HCF, about 7,480 gallons, in one bill period.

The yearly line matches the Water Board’s own estimate for a typical one-family home. Its estimate for a metered apartment using 52,000 gallons a year is $964 (FY2027 rate report). If use is very low, a minimum of $0.49 a day per meter applies to the water charge.

Metered or flat rate: how do walk-ups and co-ops pay?

Buildings with four or more apartments can join the Multi-family Conservation Program (MCP) and pay a fixed charge per unit instead of by the meter. For FY2027 that is $1,412.60 per apartment per year, water and sewer together. To stay in, a building needs an automatic meter reader and high-efficiency fixtures in 70% of its units (DEP MCP page). DEP says it makes no claim about which option costs a given building less. A walk-up with old toilets and a slow leak may do better on the flat rate. A tight, efficient building may pay less by the meter, where the Water Board’s per-unit estimate is $964.

How much has the rate gone up?

The combined rate has roughly quadrupled since 2002. Rows below are from the Water Board’s rate history (rates page).

What can an owner do about a high bill?

Start with the meter. If the meter reader failed to send a reading, DEP sends an estimated bill, and you can compare it with the number on the meter itself. A jump with no change in household use usually points to a leak somewhere after the meter. My DEP Account shows your usage history and can send leak alerts. A meter accuracy test costs $180, paid in advance (DEP, How We Bill You). Buyers should ask for a property transfer reading at least 30 days before closing so the seller’s usage stays with the seller. For repairs to the pipe itself, see who fixes what.

The city explainer above dates from 2012. Payment options and offices may have changed, so use DEP’s current billing pages rather than any details spoken in it.

Questions people ask

Why does my bill charge more for sewer than for water?

Sewer is set at 159% of the water charge, and has been since fiscal 1993. Because one is a fixed share of the other, the two charges always rise and fall together.

Is there help with paying the bill?

The Home Water Assistance Program gives a credit of up to $196 in FY2027. It goes automatically to HEAP grant recipients, to holders of certain senior, disability and veterans exemptions, and to senior owner-occupants with income under $50,000.

What happens after a late payment?

Late charges run at 6%, 9% or 16% a year depending on the property’s billable assessed value, per apartment for co-ops. Those rates are effective as of July 1, 2025.

Is the bill really based on my own use?

Yes for metered properties: the meter at the point where the service line enters the building records it. MCP buildings pay a flat amount per apartment no matter how much water they use.

Does a tenant ever see the DEP bill?

DEP accounts belong to property owners, who can add delegates in My DEP Account. In a rental the bill stays with the owner, and any share of water costs in your rent comes from the lease.

How this plate was drawn

Rates here come from the Water Board’s schedule effective July 1, 2026 and its rate history table, checked 11 Nov 2026. DEP’s own billing page gives a combined FY2027 figure that does not match the Board’s schedule, so we did not use it. The typical-bill estimates come from a rate report the Board labels a draft. The FY2027 rate it assumed is the one adopted. We leave out exemptions for nonprofits and commercial accounts.

Sources

1. NYC Water Board — Water and Wastewater Rate Schedule, effective July 1, 2026 · rates, minimum charge, MCP charge, HWAP credit · checked 11 Nov 2026
2. NYC Water Board — Rates & Regulations · rate history table · checked 11 Nov 2026
3. NYC Water Board — FY2027 Rate Report · typical yearly charges · checked 11 Nov 2026
4. NYC DEP — Billing FAQs · meter reads, billing cycle, estimated bills · checked 11 Nov 2026
5. NYC DEP — How We Bill You · HCF unit, late charges, meter test, title reading · checked 11 Nov 2026
6. NYC DEP — Multi-Family Conservation Program · MCP eligibility and conditions · checked 11 Nov 2026