• City of Anacortes Utility rates are established by ordinance.
• The City of Anacortes bills monthly for water, sewer, storm drain, refuse, and recycling.  Billing statements cover service from the first of the month to the first of the month.  Bills are mailed out by the 15th of the month and are due on the last business day of the month.  The due date is printed on the bill.  If you make a payment after the due date, the next billing statement will include the past due balance.  Accounts not paid in full by the second month will be subject to additional fees and disconnection of water service.
• City of Anacortes utility payments by check may be mailed in the envelope included with your billing statement.  You may also drop off a payment by check in our drop box located in the City Hall parking lot at 5th Street and Q Avenue.
• Our local mailing address for payments is City of Anacortes, PO Box 410, Anacortes, WA 98221.
• Cash payments, as well as payments by check, Discover Card, MasterCard and Visa, can be made at the Utility payments desk, second floor, City Hall Municipal Building.  You may apply to have your city utility bill deducted directly from your checking or savings account.  Applications are available online or at City Hall.
• Automatic payment of your City of Anacortes utility bill from your checking or savings account is available.  Additional information and applications are available online or at City Hall.
• Go to www.cityofanacortes.org, Utility Billing for a one-time online payment of your City of Anacortes utility bill by check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover card.
• To set up your account for regular monthly payments, please go to www.cityofanacortes.org, Utility Billing.
• Pay by telephone by calling 1-855-288-4093 for our secure automated telephone payment system, powered by Paymentus Corporation. Check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover card accepted.
• If you use a bill paying system through your bank or online service, please allow adequate time for processing of your payment to avoid delinquency on your account.
• If you receive a bill with a “disconnect notice”, payments should be made in person at our office at 904 6th Street in the City Hall Municipal Building, second floor before 10 a.m. on the due date given on your notice.  Failure to do so may result in disconnection of water service and an additional service fee.  DO NOT mail in payments or use an online bill pay service for “disconnect notices” as payment may not reach us in time to avoid disconnect.
• The City of Anacortes offers a 20% low-income discount on utility bills to eligible customers.  Applications and eligibility guidelines are available online or at City Hall.
• If you are having trouble making your utility payment, agencies are available to assist you.  You may contact North Sound 2-1-1 for assistance referrals.  Just dial 2-1-1 on your telephone.
• It is the property owner’s responsibility to notify the City of any billing information changes.  Forms are available online or at City Hall to request tenant or property manager billing.
• If you have a question regarding your utility bill, please call Utility Billing at 293-1909.  You may also come by the City Hall Municipal Building at 904 6th Street or e-mail niomif@cityofanacortes.org

MINIMUM CHARGES FOR RESIDENTIAL SERVICE: A minimum charge for services is billed monthly whether or not the services are used; for example, water meter is turned off and / or the house is vacant.
Base (minimum) fees for a single-family residence with a 5/8" x 3/4" water meter:

WATER and SEWER RATES: Water and sewer rates include a base charge that depends on the size of the water meter and consumption charge that depends on the amount of water used (measured in cubic feet) and/or discharged into the sanitary sewer system.

WATER

OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS: Accounts outside the city limits served by city water are also assessed a 50% surcharge on top of the total water charge.

IRRIGATION METER: Irrigation meters are billed for water base fees and consumption only.  Irrigation meters are billed at residential rates for single-family residences; otherwise they are billed at commercial rates.

SEWER

SEWER

MAXIMUM SEWER CHARGES for single-family residential and single metered duplex accounts: Sewer "Caps".
Sewer charges are based on water consumption, by assuming that most water that comes in to a home goes out of the home through the City sanitary sewer system.
During the warmer months many homes have increased water usage that is not expelled through the sewer, mostly due to yard watering.
In order to allow for the increase in water use without the increase in water going into the sewer, the City of Anacortes sets a “cap” on sewer charges on residential and single metered duplex accounts.
This cap is based on the AWWU, taking the consumption between November 1 and March 1 and averaging it.
Adjustments due to leaks or misreads during the averaging period are factored in.
The cap is then applied to the account for the next 12 months, beginning in April.

SEWER AWWU for SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE ⅝” x ¾” WATER METER

SEWER AWWU for SINGLE METERED DUPLEXES ⅝” x ¾” WATER METER

STORM DRAIN

REFUSE: Monthly Charge - One Scheduled Pick Up Per Week

You must provide your own refuse can(s).  The City of Anacortes will provide you with a decal for each can to show the sanitation crew that you have service.  Please follow these instructions for placing this decal on your garbage can.  Your garbage can will not be emptied if the decal is not placed visibly on the can.
→   Clean off a spot large enough for the decal before placing it on the can –
if can is dirty, wet, or oily, decal may not stick
→   On some plastic cans, you may need to “rough up” the spot with
sandpaper to assure the decal sticks
→   Place the decal approximately 4” from the top of the can and between the
handles – press firmly, especially around decal edges

ADDITIONAL REFUSE: Place extra refuse in pre-paid “City Garbage Bags”: blue, heavy-duty 32-Gallon capacity bags available for purchase at City Hall and various retail outlets throughout Anacortes.  Please call the Solid Waste Department at 360-293-1921 for prices on Special Hauls, Appliance Removal, and Saturday "U-Haul".

Vacant Residence Rate

If your home will be vacant for more than 90 days but less than one year with no water use, you may be eligible to have refuse and recycling charges removed from your bill for that period.  “Vacant Residence Utility Rate Reduction Requests” with details and requirements are available online or at City Hall.

DUMPSTERS: "Permanent"- Monthly Charge - One Scheduled Pick Up Per Week, Additional Pick-Ups May Be Scheduled.  Commercial Accounts Only.

DUMPSTERS: "Temporary" - Call for Pick-Up, Signed Contract and Pre-Payment of Delivery Fee Required.  Delivery fee includes set-up, removal and applicable taxes.

RECYCLING Monthly Charge - One Scheduled Pick Up Per Week.  Residential accounts only.  The City of Anacortes currently contracts with Rabanco (1-800-942-5965) for residential recycling service.  The monthly fee includes weekly pickup of a 32, 64, or 96-Gallon recycling bin, but you may put out additional recycling at no extra charge.  Rabanco provides the bin.

GLOSSARY
Apartment: Three or more living units on one water meter.
AWWU: Average Winter Water Use.  Determined by averaging water consumption from November 1 - March 1 of each year.
BOD / TSS: Biochemical Oxygen Demand / Total Suspended Solids; related to Sewer Industrial Classifications.
CF: Cubic foot; one cubic foot equals 7.48 Gallons.
Commercial: Any service other than single-family residence.
Consumption: Amount of water used.
Duplex: Two living units on one water meter.
ERU /ISU: Equivalent Residential Unit; flat fee for storm drainage.  Impervious Surface Unit; 2,000 square feet of impervious surface as determined by the City of Anacortes building department on commercial buildings and apartments with three or more units for storm drainage.
Multi-Family: Two or more living units on one water meter.
SIC: Sewer Industrial Classification.
Residential: Single Family Residence (served by one water meter).

Finance Department, Utility Billing

The Finance Department is open Monday through Friday except holidays.
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Utility Billing Information (360) 293-1909
In person: City Hall Municipal Building, 904 6th St, corner of 6th St and Q Ave, Anacortes

Mailing Address: PO Box 410, Anacortes, WA 98221-0410

Online Payments: http://www.cityofanacortes.org/Finance/utilities.htm
Telephone Payments: 1-855-288-4093

Water and Solid Waste: Service, Leaks, and Pickups (360) 293-1921
Rabanco Recycling (800) 942-5965