Your bill / Rate tiers
WSSC Water rates in four tiers, from $17.90 to $30.52
per 1,000 gallons in Tier 1, water plus sewer
WSSC Water rates for FY27 start at $17.90 per 1,000 gallons, water plus sewer, and climb through four tiers to $30.52, with each slice of your use charged at its own rate.
By the Your Water Numbers desk, not WSSC Water · Updated · How we check
Look up your number: which tier your last gallon lands in
| Average gal/day | Water + sewer per 1,000 | Slice of a 90-day bill | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–80.9999 | $17.90 | First 7,290 gal | About 1.8 cents a gallon |
| 81–165.9999 | $20.02 | Next 7,650 gal | A 145 gal/day house stops here |
| 166–275.9999 | $24.23 | Next 9,900 gal | As printed; the two parts add to $24.24 |
| 276+ | $30.52 | Above 24,840 gal | About 3.1 cents a gallon |
Source: Published FY27 rates; gallon slices and cents are our arithmetic · FY27, effective July 1, 2026
Reading this: Divide the gallons on your bill by the days in the period. That average sets how far up the table you climb.
How do the tiers actually charge you?
They work like tax brackets. Your first slice pays Tier 1 and only the gallons above each line pay more, per the published table.
So crossing 81 gallons a day does not reprice the whole bill. The 82nd gallon pays $20.02 per 1,000. The first 81 still pay $17.90.
- * as printed
Source: WSSC Water rate table · FY27 combined rates; gap is our arithmetic
Why does the published Tier 3 total look a penny off?
WSSC Water’s table lists $24.23 combined, although $9.99 plus $14.25 makes $24.24. We use $24.23 as printed.
Is it sewer or water that costs more?
Sewer, in every tier. It is 57.1% of the combined rate in Tier 1 and 61.7% in Tier 4 (our arithmetic).
Source: WSSC Water rates · per 1,000 gallons, FY27
Check your bill for a flat-rate sewer charge as well. The rates page lists one at $175.00 a quarter, up from $166.00 in FY26.
A worked example, from the utility’s own bill guide
The bill guide walks through 13,000 gallons over 90 days, which is 144 gallons a day.
- Tier 1: 7,290 gallons
- Tier 2: the remaining 5,710 gallons
- Water charges: $105.55 for the July–Oct 2026 bill
- Sewer on the same slices: $139.26, for $244.81 in all (our arithmetic)
Monthly bills use 30 days, so the lines fall at 2,430, 4,980 and 8,280 gallons (our arithmetic). Meters are read and billed in thousand-gallon steps, which is why a real bill can sit a few dollars from a calculated one.
What was the price last year?
Each combined rate rose about 5.0% (our arithmetic), from the FY26 sheet:
- Tier 1: $17.05 to $17.90
- Tier 2: $19.07 to $20.02
- Tier 3: $23.08 to $24.23
- Tier 4: $29.07 to $30.52
The history behind that step is on the rate increases page.
What cutting use is worth at each level
The same 10 gallons a day saves more the higher you sit. Over 90 days that is $16.11 at 60 gallons a day, $18.02 at 145, $21.81 at 200 and $27.47 at 300 (our arithmetic).
What to do with this number
- Note the rate on your last slice from the table
- See your full total on the gallons-a-day table
- Add the fixed fees, which do not change with use
- If you sit in Tier 4 without a reason, run the high bill checks
Questions on this page
Does using more than 276 gallons a day put my whole bill at $30.52?
No. Only the gallons above that average pay $30.52 per 1,000. The lower slices keep their lower rates.
Do Oxon Hill and Gaithersburg get different tiers?
The published table has no county column, so homes in either county read the same four lines.
Does household size change my tier?
Not directly. Tiers follow average gallons a day in the bill period, not the number of people.
Where each number comes from
| Figure | What it is | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| $7.68–$30.52 | FY27 water, sewer and combined rates per 1,000 gallons | WSSC Water rates page | effective July 1, 2026 |
| $17.05–$29.07 | FY26 combined rates | WSSC Water FY26 fees sheet | FY26 |
| $175.00 | Flat-rate sewer charge a quarter | WSSC Water rates page | FY27 |
| $105.55 | Water charges on a 13,000-gallon example | WSSC Water bill guide | the July–Oct 2026 example |
| $139.26, slices, shares, savings | Worked from the rate table | Our arithmetic from WSSC rates | read Nov. 2, 2026 |