Account Setup and Information
New Service
If you are a new customer moving into our service:
Existing Customers
Transfer and disconnection of services may be requested through the MyAccount:
You can also contact Customer Service by phone at 210-704-7297 to speak to a representative.
Name changes due to marriage or divorce can be made by contacting SAWS by email, chat or phone. SAWS will verify names based on public records and will only change names to reflect a customer’s legal name.
Customers that wish to change the name of account holder due to a death should contact SAWS. Services can either be stopped or transferred to a new owner.
Billing
Your residential water service bill is calculated according to:
- Water usage
- Location (Inside or outside city limits)
- Meter size
A residential rate calculator is available online to help you estimate your monthly residential SAWS bill. Be sure to have a copy of your bill with you to type in the information.
General class bills are calculated according to:
(including apartment, commercial, industrial and municipal)
- Monthly Average Water Usage (referred to as your monthly base amount)
- Excess Water Usage (any amount that exceeds your monthly average usage)
- Usage based rate (rate increase incrementally across 4 tiers as usage increases)
- Meter Size
Monthly Service Availability and Volume Charge
A portion of your statement includes a minimum bill (Monthly Service Availability Charge), based on your meter size, and the Monthly Volume Charge, which reflects your water consumption measured per 100 gallons of water usage during a billing period.
For residential accounts
During warmer months, irrigation can be a large portion of water consumption and this water doesn’t make its way to SAWS treatment plants. Conversely, during cooler months, water is mostly used indoors and likely ends up processed at SAWS treatment plants. This why SAWS calculates your sewer charges based on the average usage across winter months, specifically mid-November through mid-March. Sewer service charges for the following 12 months are based on this annually-updated winter average.
Customers who do not have an active account during these months are billed as follows:
-
- 5,985 gallons for the first 3 months of service.
- After the first 3 months of service, you are billed the LESSER of the average of 3 months or the default of 5,985 gallons
Sewer Service Provided by San Antonio River Authority (SARA)
Winter average is calculated using water use that is billed in December, January and February for SARA sewer customers, billed by SAWS. Sewer service charges are updated in July each year using this updated average.
For general class accounts
Sewer service charges are calculated directly from monthly water usage. Customers with landscape irrigation accounts (either metered or assumed) are not subject to sewer charges.
Other fees included on your bill are the water supply fee, Uplift Assistance Program fee, stormwater fee, TCEQ fee and the Edwards Aquifer Authority fee.
If you request that SAWS either turn on or turn off water service and this requires a personal visit from a SAWS professional, a meter trip fee of $12 will be assessed. The fee is $6 for those customers who qualify for participation in the SAWS Affordability Programs.
Currently, our billing system is unable to itemize the meter trip fee charge on the bill, so it appears in the “Previous Balance” line. We are working to rectify this issue and appreciate your patience.
At this time, we cannot consolidate your account statements into one bill.
Yes! Register to receive your monthly water bill via email by registering here. Any SAWS customer can view current and past bills online. Just verify your SAWS account number, choose a user name and password, and you’re all set to view your bill any time without obligation to use any of our other services.
We’re here to help!
Visit our Contact Us page to reach us via chat or email. You can also call us at 210-704-SAWS (7297).
Payments
You can pay by mail, phone, via automatic bank debit or online. For details, learn more about our payment options below.
Payments can also be made in person at any of the SAWS customer center locations listed on the back of your bill summary. SAWS has also teamed up with select local businesses to collect payments on SAWS’ behalf.
SAWS offers automatic recurring bill payment through our My Account page.
For credit card payments made through our third-party payment processor, the maximum transaction limit is $500 for residential customers and $300 for commercial customers. However, multiple transactions may be made.
All our payment systems use a secure and encrypted channel for communication. All transport of financial data between SAWS and financial institutions processors use above-standard encryption techniques to ensure a safe and protected transaction.
All payments made Monday through Friday before 5 p.m. will post the same day. Payments made after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday will post the next business day. Payments made on weekends or holidays will post the following business day.
Pay-by-phone payments or any payments made through our third-party processor cannot be canceled. Please be certain that you intend to make a payment before doing so and that the amount entered is correct.
Payments made through My Account may be cancelled on the same day the payment was made. Any payments made after that day cannot be cancelled by SAWS.
A late fee will be assessed to your unpaid balance.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties which temporarily prevent you from paying the full balance on time, please let us know. In many cases we can work out a payment plan to allow you to continue receiving service.
We’ve recently made it even easier to sign up for a payment plan online. Visit My Account or call SAWS Customer Service at 210-704-SAWS (704-7297) to speak with a representative.
Interactive Pay-By-Phone
It’s a telephone payment channel for SAWS customers. Customers can also check their account balance, verify their last payment, and confirm the most recent amount billed.
Dial 210-704-SAWS (7297).
- Press 1 for Customer Service
- Next Press 2 for payments
To sign up, you will need your SAWS account number, service ZIP code and telephone number. You’ll also be asked to create a pin code up to 8-digits long in lieu of a password.
You can register multiple SAWS accounts. When making a payment, the system will ask which SAWS account you’d like to pay.
From the main menu, you can opt out of the system, and transfer to a Customer Service agent, by pressing “0” on your keypad.
Affordability Programs
In an effort to help manage rising utility bills, SAWS Uplift offers 14 different assistance programs to customers who qualify.
To receive assistance, a customer must be a SAWS account holder, meet income requirements and complete the Uplift application. To learn more visit uplift.saws.org or call 210-233-CARE (2273).
Other Service Issues
To check for leaks, turn off all indoor and outdoor faucets and then watch the water meter. If the fine flow indicator (usually a small triangle or diamond on the face of the meter) is turning, you have a leak. Watch your meter for 5 or 10 minutes to see if the fine flow indicator moves. If it continues to move, then a leak exists on your property and needs to be located and repaired.
Using the Meter to Detect Leaks
Learning to read the water meter can help you detect a leak instantly.
What Could Be Leaking?
Large amounts of water can sink into the ground without any evidence left behind — especially if you live over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone or near a green space. Most sprinkler systems can use up to 3,000-plus gallons every time you run them — is yours set properly? And there are multiple home fixtures that can drain water straight to the sewer without a trace.
To relocate the meter, please call us at 210-704-SAWS (7297).