DC Water and Sewer Authority

Our online bill payment option is the fastest, easiest way to pay your water bill.

Our First Street Office (see driving directions at the bottom of the Contact Us page) also allows you to pay your bill in cash, in addition to accepting checks, money orders, and credit cards.

The Automated Meter Reading Project will greatly improve the ease and accuracy of reading meters and billing for actual usage.

Printed Bill Explanation

Your bill is a clear, concise statement of your water and sewer usage. The bill format has recently changed to support DCWASA's new, state-of-the-art customer information and billing system. We can now provide you with more detailed billing information, payment options, and a line item breakdown of charges. We are in the process of updating owner names on the bills. If the name on your bill is incorrect, please contact us to update your account. You do not need to do anything different to pay your bill, although further down the screen is an extensive list of payment options for your convenience.

Bill Payment Options

DCWASA offers several ways for you to pay your bill:

Check or Money Order: You may either mail a check or money order back to DCWASA in the envelope enclosed with your printed bill. You can also pay your current bill at one of the many Wachovia National Bank branches of Washington, DC. You can also pay your bill by check at our business offices, which are located at:

810 First Street, NE
Lobby Level
Washington, DC 20002
(This location also accepts cash)
Penn-Branch Municipal Service Center
3200 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (lower level)
Washington, DC 20020
(This location does not accept cash)

Automatic Bill Payment: For your convenience, DCWASA now offers automatic bill payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which automatically deducts money from your checking or savings account. You will still receive an itemized statement, but you won't have to write checks. Instead, the bank sends the funds for you. You may request an application by calling a Customer Care Associate at 202-354-3600 to request an application, by completing the form on your next printed bill, or by registering for "My Account". See a demo of how easy it is to register for "My Account" before you get started!

Credit Card: DCWASA is happy to accept credit card payments from your VISA, Mastercard, or Discover Card. You can fill out the credit card number on your printed bill, pay online, or simply call (202) 354-3600, 24 hours a day.. See a demo of how easy it is to register for "My Account" before you get started!

Billing/Payment Online: Now you can make your entire billing process electronic. Sign up for e-Bill Notification to receive an e-mail instead of a printed bill. Then pay using your credit card through the "My Account" online billing system. Or, signup for for the recurring credit card payment option.. See a demo of how easy it is to register for "My Account" before you get started!

How To Read Your Water Meter

Since most District water meters include a device that allows WASA to read meters electronically, there should be no need for a consumer to read a water meter. However, for those inquisitive customers who really want to know how to read a water meter, the following illustration should prove helpful. Almost all District residential water meters were manufactured by ABB or AMCO. The meters and registers are identical and are distinguishable only by size and manufacturers name. A typical residential meter today is 1" in size although WASA also uses 5/8" and 3/4" meters for some smaller residential homes. Consumption is determined by subtracting the current read from the previous read. The numbers on the register with the black background are fractional units similar to a decimal place that helps us convert cubic feet (cf) into hundred cubic feet (ccf) for billing purposes. In the illustration below, a new meter was installed at a residence. After the first month, the customer used 844 cubic feet (cf) of water. Since WASA bills in hundred cubic feet (ccf) units of measure and in whole units simply ignore the numbers with the black background. The current reading below is 8 ccfs minus 0 from the previous read, which equals 8ccfs.

Previous Read:

Current Read:

TOTAL CONSUMPTION: 8-0000 = 8ccf (ignore numbers with black background)

To determine your water and sewer charges, multiply the consumption by the current rate for water ($2.03 per ccf) and the current rate for sewer ($3.06 per ccf) or use the combined rate of $5.09 per ccf. In the example above the 8ccfs equals $16.24 for water and $24.48 for sewer. Don’t forget to add in your meter fee and the District Government’s right-of-way fee and storm water fee to calculate your entire bill.