Billing
Pay your water and sewer bill
Residential accounts are billed quarterly. Payment is due in full on receipt, and an account is past due 30 days later.
Handled in the city's payment portal
View your account and pay online
Your balance, payment history and card or bank payment are all handled in the city's existing billing system. This page explains the rates and the schedule; the portal holds your actual account.
Go to the payment portalPrefer not to pay online? Call (978) 374-2370 or visit City Hall Room 300, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Current rates
- Water per 100 cubic feet
- $6.52
- Wastewater per 100 cubic feet
- $8.27
- Fire service annual, by service size
- $400–1,200
- Sewer-only accounts flat rate, single-family dwelling
- 23 units/quarter
When bills are issued
- 1 February
- 1 May
- 1 August
- 1 November
Interest accrues at 14 percent on accounts past due. Continued non-payment can result in the water service being shut off.
Rate reference
What the rates work out to
Bills are measured in units of 100 cubic feet, written CCF on your bill. One unit is 748 gallons. This works the published rates out loud — it is not your bill and does not read your account.
The city's own flat rate for sewer-only single-family homes is 23 units a quarter, which is a reasonable starting point for a household.
- Water $6.52/unit
- $149.96
- Wastewater $8.27/unit
- $190.21
- At these rates
- $340.17
Wastewater is the larger share of most bills because it is charged at a higher rate than the water itself. Fire service, deduct meter credits and any outstanding interest are not included. Your actual balance lives in the city's payment portal.
Questions people ask
- Is a leak still billable?
- Yes. All water that passes through the meter is billable, including water lost to a leak on your side of the meter. Finding leaks early is the only way to avoid the charge.
- How is my sewer charge calculated?
- From your water meter reading, on the assumption that water entering the property leaves through the sewer. Water that demonstrably does not — a pool, a vegetable garden over 600 square feet, or any metered outdoor use — can be deducted.
- What happens if I do not pay?
- Accounts are past due 30 days after the bill is issued and begin accruing interest at 14 percent. Continued non-payment can result in the water service being shut off.
- I am selling my house.
- A real estate transfer reading is required, billed at $60 per reading. The Meter Division performs around 1,400 of these a year.
Getting water taken off your sewer bill
Your sewer charge is calculated from your water meter, on the assumption that water entering the property leaves through the sewer. Water that never reaches the sewer can be deducted — an in-ground irrigation system, a pool, or a vegetable garden over 600 square feet.
A deduct meter measures that use separately. Inspection and approval by the Meter Division are required before any abatement is granted. Apply using the Water Service Application and call (978) 373-8487.
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Usage Abatement Form
For metered outdoor use that never enters the sewer system.
-
Vegetable Garden Abatement Form
For food-producing gardens larger than 600 square feet.
Worth knowing
A leak is still billable
Every gallon that passes through the meter is charged, including water lost to a leak on your side of the meter. Checking the low flow indicator on your meter once a month is the cheapest insurance there is.
Selling a property
Transfer readings
A transfer reading is required when a property changes hands, billed at $60 per reading. New sewer connections also carry a $1,000 per unit combined sewer overflow fee and a $400 per service infrastructure fee.