Some residential OCWA customers may have recently received, or will be receiving in the near future, higher than normal quarterly water bills. These bills are NOT the result of any change in rates put in place by OCWA during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rather are due to consumption calculated by meter readings.
The following are the main reasons for some of these higher than normal bills:
1) This year Central New York experienced one of the hottest and driest summers on record, with customers using much more water during the past three-month OCWA quarterly billing cycle than normal. Pools are a big factor in summer consumptions. Simply watering lawns and plantings consumes large amounts of water as well.
2) The COVID-19 pandemic forced many families to be home all day every day, adding to the water consumption numbers of our residential customers. The more customers are home, the more water they use.
3) Our published rate structure consists of a base system fee, and three consumption “tiers”. Each tier steps the rate per 1,000 gallons a little higher. With added consumption, many bills may have reached the highest tier.
Finally, an extremely high bill (for example, 3x your normal bill) may indicate you have a leak. Customers are encouraged to contact our Customer Service department at 315-455-7061 extension 3335 if they have any questions or concerns.