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1. When is my monthly bill due?

Payments of all charges on the sewer bill are due by the 25th day of each month or the following business day should the 25th fall on a weekend or holiday.

If the charges on a monthly sewer bill are not paid when due, there shall be added to the charges a one time late payment penalty of 10% of the latest billed amount. Additionally, 8% interest per year will be applied to all sewer charges that have not been paid by the due date from the date due until paid.

If you are concerned about your monthly billing statement, please contact our office in Spokane at 509-477-3604 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Fridays (excluding Holidays).

2. Where do I mail my payment?

For regular payments, mail them to the Environmental Services Department at:

Spokane County Environmental Services
P.O. Box 2355
Spokane, WA 99210-2355

For CFR, GFC, SCC, partial payments and payoffs, please call our office at (509) 477-3604

3. How do I change my address for my sewer bill?

Sewer Billing Address Change Request This is for current property owners to change or update their mailing address for their sewer bills/statements. 

If you are a property owner needing to add a tenant or property manager, please choose and fill out the proper authorization letter located here Sewer Billing Forms.

4. When are the monthly sewer bills mailed?

Charges for the sewer service are billed to customers on a monthly basis, during the first 5 business days of the month.

5. What are the current sewer charges and rates?

Learn more from our page on Sewer Bill monthly Charges. 

6. What is a Reduced Rate Residence?

It is a 20% discount of the monthly sewer service fees for a qualifying senior or disabled property owner's single-family residence or duplex dwelling unit. 

To qualify, the property owner must first have an active property tax exemption for that residence. Please contact our office once you have an active property tax exemption.

Please contact the Assessor's Office for property tax exemption information.

Assessor's Office

7. What is a Sewer Service Fee?

The "Sewer Service Fee" is a monthly fee charged to all properties connected to the sewer system, and to those properties for which the established connection deadline has passed. The "Sewer Service Fee" is comprised of the Operation and Maintenance Fee and the Wastewater Treatment Plant Charge.

8. How is the monthly Operation and Maintenance charge calculated?

For additional information view our page at Sewer Bill monthly Charges. 

9. What is Operation and Maintenance?

"Operation and Maintenance" is the portion of the monthly Sewer Service Fee that is charged to defray the cost of operating, maintaining and repairing the system of sewerage. (8.08.1495)

10. What is a prepayment period for the Capital Facilities Rate?

The Prepayment Period is the 30-day period immediately prior to commencement of the Capital Facilities Rate (CFR) billing, wherein the property owner can prepay the entire CFR and avoid interest charges.

11. What is a Capital Facilities Rate?

The "Capital Facilities Rate", or "CFR", is that portion of the monthly sewer charges for a property within a sewer project (constructed in years 1997 through 2011) that is attributable to the costs of acquiring, constructing and installing the system of sewerage. The CFR assigned to a property is calculated on a per ERU basis.

The CFR charge is not an assessment and will not show up on a title search.

This charge will need to be disclosed by the owner to prospective buyers if you are preparing to sell the property. Please contact the Environmental Services Department to request a sewer summary form.

If you sell your property, the balance of the CFR may be paid off at the time of sale or may be assumed by the new owner.

12. What is a General Facilities Charge?

The "General Facilities Charge, or GFC," is a charge collected from all sewer customers to support regional components of the system. This includes the Spokane County Regional Water Reclamation Facility, capacity purchased by the County in City of Spokane's Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, interceptor sewers, pump stations, and other components of the sewer system identified by the County as general facilities.

13. What is an Equivalent Residential Unit?

One Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) is equal to 800 cubic feet of metered water usage per month. Each single-family residence, mobile home (where two or less occupy the same parcel) and each half of a duplex building is deemed to represent one ERU. Each multi-family dwelling unit is deemed to represent 0.7 of an ERU. Each commercial unit and manufactured home park is assigned one ERU for each 800 cubic feet of metered non-irrigation water usage per month.

14. How is my payment credited to my account?

Payments are applied to the oldest unpaid charges.

15. What happens if I don't pay my monthly sewer bill?

If the charges on a monthly sewer bill are not paid when due, a one time late payment penalty of 10% of the latest billed amount are added to the charges.

Additionally, interest is attached and accrued on unpaid charges computed at a rate of 8% per annum starting on the next day after the billing due date until paid. Interest is computed on the entire unpaid balance.

Accounts that are in excess of 60 days delinquent may receive a past due statement and delinquency notice. The notice will be mailed to interested parties known to the Environmental Services Department (known parties may include Owner, Mortgage Company, Landlord and Occupant in the case of rental property) regarding the delinquent amount. The delinquency notice will list the amount of charges in arrears, and will explain that the customer must pay the charges within 30 days from the date of the notice to avoid a lien.

The lien will be filed for all delinquent rates, fees and/or charges due in accordance with Spokane County Ordinance 8.03.9040 (Payment-Delinquency-Lien). The lien amount will include late payment penalties together with accrued interest at 8% per annum from the date due until paid. The lien will attach and foreclose pursuant to RCW 36.94.150 and RCW 35.67.215. The County's sewerage lien shall attach for up to one year's delinquent charges without the necessity of any writing or recording of the lien with the County Auditor pursuant to RCW 36.94.150 and RCW 35.67.215. A lien for more than one year's delinquent sewer charges shall attach upon certification of the delinquent charges by the Environmental Services Department to the Spokane County Auditor. The Environmental Services Department may periodically amend these lien certifications.

All costs associated with filing and releasing of a lien, such as filing fees and administrative costs, together with the lien certification amounts, shall be paid to the Environmental Services Department prior to the release of the lien.

The monthly billing statements will show that a lien exists and will give the sum of all charges, for which a lien has been filed. The lien will be released upon payment in full.

Under the Revised Code of Washington, Spokane County may bring a foreclosure action against the property 60 days after the attachment of the lien.

16. Whose responsibility is it to make payments?

All sewer charges, fees, penalties and interest shall be paid by the property owner or by a tenant or agent whom the property owner has authorized in writing for the Environmental Services Department to bill. Each property owner shall remain fully responsible for all sewer charges, fees, penalties, and interest with respect to his/her property, whether such charges were incurred by or on account of him/herself or on account of some other person or business.

If you are the owner of rented or leased property and want to add a tenant/property management company and receive a courtesy copy of the monthly bill, please fill out the appropriate Letter of Authorization Form.