City of Auburn Water Works Board - Water Revenue Office

The Water Works Board provides water service to all customers within the city limits of Auburn. Included in the billing are charges for garbage and sanitary sewer services, which are provided by the City of Auburn.

Deposit Requirements

The Water Works Board requires that all customers pay a deposit on each account that they establish. This deposit is held until the account is closed. You may pay the required deposit by cash or check, made payable to the Auburn Water Works Board. The deposit amount is based on the meter size. Deposits for most residents are $75.00 for water and sewer, plus a $15.00 service charge. Residents with larger meters and some businesses will be required to pay larger deposits.

The Water Works Board no longer accepts Off Campus Association (OCA) membership in lieu of a deposit. However, if a customer can provide a letter of credit from any of the customer's former utility companies, reflecting an excellent payment history (no late fees or disconnect notices) for the past 24 months for an account in the applicant's name, the Board will waive the $75 refundable deposit. The $15 non-refundable service charge cannot be waived.

Billing/Payment

The Water Works Board reads each meter monthly. Bills are mailed on the last working day of each month. All bills are due on or before the 15th of each month. If the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, you have until the next business day to pay your bill without late fees. An account not paid and posted by 4:30 on the 15th, is assessed a 5% late fee. Any payment dropped in the night deposit box after 4:30 on any day, is not posted until the following business day. Payment of your bill and or late fees will not be waived due to failure to receive or the late receipt of a bill or delinquent notice.

You have several options of how you may pay your bill.

1. In person at our office located at 1501 West Samford Avenue. Payment may be made by cash, check, or money order.
2. Mail check or money order to 1501 West Samford Avenue., Auburn, AL 36830.
3. The drive-up window is for bill payments only. You must have the bill in order to pay at the window.
4. You may wish to pay your bill by Automatic Bank Draft. Call our office at 501-3050 and we will send you a form to complete and return to our office.
5. You may also pay your bill by dropping it into the Night Deposit Box located next to the Drive In window. The Water Works Board cannot be responsible for cash dropped into the night deposit box; so please do not place cash payments in the Night Deposit Box.

Water is billed a month in arrears. Garbage is billed in advance, so your first bill may be for garbage pick-up only. Service periods are printed on your bill, so you can see when your meter is actually read.

Transfer

A customer's deposit can transfer from one address to another. The customer is required to come by the Water Works Board office, request that service be disconnected at the old location and connected at the new location. Service can overlap for 60 days only. Any remaining balance on an old account and a $15.00 service charge must be paid at the time of the transfer.

Terminating Service

A disconnect order must be signed at the Water Board office to close an account. If you cannot come by, please send your written request to disconnect service either by mail or by fax. Lack of mail system dependability is not the responsibility of the Water Board. Our fax number is (334) 501-7292. WE DO NOT TAKE DISCONNECTION REQUESTS OVER THE PHONE.

Irrigation or "yard meters"

A yard meter is used for any or all outside watering. Yard meters are charged for water usage only. There is no minimum charge for water usage only. The yard meter is furnished by the Water Works Board, and will be accessible to and subject to its control at all times. Yard meters will be installed on the public right of way, dedicated easement, or other grassed area, that is free from vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

A customer may request a second meter for irrigation purposes. This service requires a deposit of $37.50, for a 3/4 inch meter, payable at the time of the request. To install this meter, the Water Works Board must make a tap at a cost to the customer of $700.00, for a 3/4 inch tap. The customer may elect to pay the tap fee over a period of one (1) year.

High Bills

Water meters are read each and every month. This is how your consumption is calculated. If the usage is unusually high, it will appear on the high usage report. The readings will be checked once again for accuracy, then the office will try to notify the customer of high usage. If you receive a courtesy notice from the Water Works Board, you should investigate to find the possible cause for the excess water usage. Check for dripping faucets, running toilets, or possible breaks in the water line. If a problem is detected, a plumber should be notified to perform the repairs. If you are renting, call your landlord. The Water Works Board is not responsible for any repairs beyond the maintenance of your meter, but we will assist you in any way that we can to determine the problem prior to you calling a plumber.

Garbage and Sewer Billing

When your account was first established, the $75 deposit included water and sewer. Sewer is defined as water that goes down your drains. Since there is no way to meter this, your sewer charge is based on your water usage. We caution you to be careful about leaks, and report any plumbing problems to your landlord or project manager. Remember, water consumption dictates your sewer charge; so a leak can be very costly.

Your garbage fee is billed in advance. Therefore, your first bill will probably be for garbage pick-up only. Many residents of multi-family complexes have garbage fees paid for by the landlord or property manager. Others residing in single-family homes or duplexes will be paying for water, sewer, and garbage.

If you have questions about your garbage service or recycling, you may call (334) 501-3080, or go by the Solid Waste office located at 356 N. Donahue Drive, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.