QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Billing Questions

How often am I billed, and what period of time does a bill cover?
You are billed bi-monthly (every two months), and the billing period covered is the two months prior to the billing date.  You are paying for the past two months of sewer service.

What streetlight am I paying for,  I don’t have a streetlight in front of my home?
You are paying for all of the streetlights serving the area in which you live.  They brighten and protect your surrounding area.   All homeowners and commercial properties pay for street-lighting.   
            
Who is responsible for reporting the sale of a residence or commercial property?
The seller of the property is ultimately responsible for reporting the sale of their property and must arrange for payment of previous charges.  Typically, the escrow company contacts the sewer district for a closing bill.   However, the seller should follow-up with a call to our office to make sure we have been notified.   We will need the closing date, and the buyer’s name.

What are sewer service charges?
Sewer service charges are payment for the conveyance and treatment of all sewage that leaves your home or business.  This includes laundry, shower/bath, dishwasher, sink and toilet.  After leaving your house, the sewage typically gravities through a series of sewer lines to a sewage pump station.  From the pump station, the sewage is pumped to one of the District’s two secondary wastewater treatment plants.  Miller Creek and Salmon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plants receive and treat approximately 5,500,000 gallons per day.  At the treatment plants the wastewater is separated from the solids and both are processed biologically.  After biological treatment, the wastewater is injected with sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) for disinfection of pathogens.  Then the treated wastewater flows to Puget Sound.  As for the solids, after biological process, the solids are hauled to Eastern Washington farmlands and applied to the soil as a natural amendment.  So your sewer service charge covers the costs of maintenance of the sewer lines, pump stations and two secondary wastewater treatment plants, in addition to the permitting, inspection, engineering, laboratory, regulatory and administrative costs.