User Fee Structure:
There are two classes of users: Residential and Commercial (including industrial). The WSA sewer user charges include fixed fees and consumption-based fees. See Changes to sewer usage charges & Sewer user fee history
Authority: Rhode Island Public Law 1962, Chapter 254 (as amended) created the Warwick Sewer Authority
(WSA) and directs the WSA to:
“provide that annual charges shall be made upon the owners of the lands using the sewer works and that sewer assessments shall be made upon the owners of lands for which the use of sewage works is available. The sewer authority may further provide that connect capable charges shall be made upon property owners whose property is abutting on that portion of any highway in which a common sewer is laid, while said property remains unconnected to the city’s sewage system.”
In addition, the Law states:
“Annual charges shall be levied upon every property owner or institution whose property is connected to the City’s sewage system. The charge will be computed based upon water consumption or other factors deemed equitable by the sewer authority. The annual charge should be set at a level sufficient to support operation and maintenance costs of the wastewater treatment plant, the renewal and replacement fund and the principal and interest for any bonds or notes issued for the sewage works.”
The WSA enabling legislation is included in the City of Warwick Code of Ordinances.
In addition, the WSA has adopted Rules and Regulations that govern sewer use and user and assessment and other fees and charges. Specifically, Regulations 37, 38, 39, 40, 43 and 52 define the sewer user charges and their requirements. A copy of these Rules and Regulations are available from the Warwick Sewer Authority.
Purpose: Customers of the Warwick sewer system are charged a sewer user fee by the Warwick Sewer Authority. This fee is to support the operation and maintenance of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, located at 125 Arthur W. Devine Blvd, over 48 wastewater pumping station and nearly 300 miles of sanitary sewers. The WSA operates as an Enterprise Fund within the City of Warwick. Fees, charges and assessments levied by the WSA are used only for the operations, programs and activities of the WSA.
Deduct Meters: Customers that use water that is used outside an not discharged to the sewer system may have a “Deduct” meter installed to define the amount of water not returned to the facility for treatment.
To have a Deduct meter installed, contact the Warwick Sewer Authority at 401-468-4710 for more information.
Frequency of Billings:
Kent County Water Authority customers: User fees are billed on a quarterly basis, generally in July, October, January and April.
Warwick Water Customers: bills are generated in March, June, September and December.
Minor Corrections to Billings: Minor corrections, such as meter reading errors, may be corrected by providing the basis for the correction to the WSA. Call 401-468-4731.
Appeal of Billing: Sewer Assessment bills may be appealed to the Warwick Sewer Board of Review, 3275 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886. For an appeal to be heard, it must be filed within 60 days of the date of the assessment notice.
Late Payments: Payment is due and payable within 60 days of receipt of the sewer usage bill. Payments received after that are assessed an interest penalty at the rate of 12% per year.