Frequently Asked Questions

To have an existing water meter turned on, or to transfer water service into your name, you will need to complete an Application for Water Service (PDF) at least 24 hours prior to the date you would like to start service. Requests for service starts must be for a normal business day. The application can be submitted in person or online. 

Payment options can be found on the Pay Your Bill page. For water customers paying in-person, we accept cash, money orders and checks only. We cannot accept debit or credit card payments at the counter. You may use our online payment system for debit or credit card payments (a transaction fee will apply).

Water payments may be sent by mail, dropped off in the secure water payment depository box in the City Hall parking lot, or made online. The secure payment box is available at all times.

If you arrive at your new residence on a non-business day (the City offices are closed weekends, holidays, and alternating Fridays), please review the information below:

• Water service is reinstated at no cost during regular business hours.  If service is required outside of our business hours, an after-hours fee will apply.
• To request water service reinstatement during non-business hours, contact the Public Works Department at 858-668-4751.
• The technician will require you to sign an agreement acknowledging responsibility for the after-hours fees and confirming that you will contact our office by 9:00 a.m. on the next business day.
• You must complete and submit a water service application, along with a copy of each applicant’s driver’s license.

Additional information, including contact details, the water service application, and applicable after-hours fees, is available on our website.

Start, Transfer, or Stop Water / Sewer Service | Poway, CA - Official Website

All requests for a temporary construction hydrant meter must be made in person at least 2 business days before the meter is needed during City Hall normal business hours.

Online bill pay is available for Water / Sewer Utility Bills and is free to all water / sewer customers. To get started, you will need to have your account number and service address available. More information can be found on the Pay Your Bill page.

Each customer belongs in 1 of 4 billing cycles which are sent out on a bi-monthly basis (every other month).  There are 2 dates listed on the bill.  The first date (labeled Due Date), is approximately 11 days after the mail date and advises when payment is due, and also when the auto-payment is drawn (for those customers that have signed up).  The second date listed (labeled Past Due Date), is the last day that payment can be received by our office before a late payment penalty is assessed.  Please keep in mind that the City is not responsible for mail delivery times, and a postmark does not determine the payment date.

The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) is the regional agency that supplies most of the water used in Poway. The City of Poway buys imported water from the SDCWA at wholesale rates. The line item on your bill reflects Poway’s cost to purchase water from SDCWA. The SDCWA rates are effective January 21, 2026 and will help ensure the financial sustainability of the water enterprise. 

Fees may appear on your bill due to penalties associated with late or returned payments.

Any account balance remaining after the Past Due Date listed on the bill will incur a 10% or $50 late fee (whichever is less). Each account is eligible for one late fee waiver every rolling two years.

Properties that are tagged with a red shut-off notice will incur a $32 fee. One red tag fee waiver is allowed per account. If payment is not made by the deadline stated on the red tag, a $54 shutoff fee will be applied. This fee cannot be waived.

Returned payments will incur a $25 fee. This fee cannot be waived.

Go to the Understanding Your Bill information page.

No repairs were made to your meter. The term “fixed” refers to the type of charge, not a repair. A fixed charge is a standard monthly fee that remains the same each billing cycle, regardless of how much water is used. This line item was previously labeled “Basic Service.” It was updated to “Fixed Water Meter Service Charge” to more accurately describe the purpose of the charge, which helps cover the ongoing costs of providing and maintaining water service and meter infrastructure. This update reflects a change in description only. Any future adjustments to rates will continue to follow the City’s adopted rate schedule and public review process.

The City of Poway does not provide financial assistance for filling your pool. To ensure that the filling of your pool does not affect your sewer billing, it is recommended that you not fill your pool during the winter months of November-April. For an explanation of how your sewer charge is calculated, please read more about Rates and Fees or contact a customer service representative during business hours.

Each year wastewater rates are recalculated to include the previous three years winter water use. This excludes the current winter season. The recalculated rate will be reflected in bills mailed to customers in the months of March or April depending on your bill cycle.

The fixed bimonthly wastewater charge recovers a portion of the City’s fixed costs of system capacity, billing, and administrative overhead. The commodity rate recovers the cost of wastewater treatment based on consumer use.

We take 85% of the lowest winter water use based on the assumption that 15% of the billed water use is not returned to the sewer system for irrigation and pool filling, while the remaining 85% is returned to wastewater.

We use the last three years average of lowest winter water use to account for variations in weather, leaks, or other variations, that may cause a higher than normal wastewater bill are minimized for our customers.

Commercial and other non-residential customers pay wastewater charges based on their water consumption for that billing period. All customers also pay a fixed bimonthly wastewater service charge based on water meter size and customer classification to recover the City’s costs for system capacity, billing, and administrative overhead.

Unfortunately, we do not make sewer adjustments based on tenant/property owner changes. The current calculation method is based on a resolution, adopted in accordance with the City of Poway Municipal Code (PMC 13.11.120). According to this policy, residential wastewater usage is determined once per year using a standardized method that relies on the property's water use during the previous three winter periods (November through April).

For each of the past three years, the lowest water consumption during the winter months is identified. These three lowest values are then averaged, and 85% of that average is used to estimate the property's wastewater generation. Since this is a rolling three-year average, adjustments are made on the first full bill of each calendar year. 

This approach provides a less volatile change in annual rates for ratepayers year over year and provides an equitable solution to accurately reflect water usage while also ensuring financial resiliency and sustainability of the wastewater system.

The fixed bimonthly wastewater charge recovers a portion of the City’s fixed costs of system capacity, billing, and administrative overhead. The commodity rate recovers the cost of wastewater treatment based on consumer use. For newly constructed single-family residential properties with no winter water use history, the customer will be billed for 15 units of wastewater generation (the average residential generation calculated in the November 10, 2025 Water and Wastewater Cost of Service Study Report) until winter water use is established with one full billing cycle during the winter months of November through April.