Show All Answers

1. Where do I make my water and wastewater service payments?

Although the Department of Public Works provides water and sewer service, it does not handle customer billing. Bills are sent to customers quarterly by the Billing Office within the County Department of Budget and Finance. Payments may be made by mail or in person to:
Finance Office
107 North Liberty Street
Centreville, MD 21617

You can also make your payment at any Queenstown Bank location.

2. How do you determine the amount of my bill?

If served with public water, bills are determined by the amount of water that has passed through your water meter since the last meter reading. Meters are read quarterly. Wastewater is not metered, but rather is based on 85% of the amount of water that is delivered through the meter to your home. If not served by public water, there is no way to measure the usage and as such you are billed a flat fee. The rates currently being charged are presented above.

3. Why do I have to pay so much for a vacant lot, or uninhabited dwelling?

This is due to the fact that the rate schedule is made up of 4 components, only 1 of which is actual usage. All utilities have certain fixed costs that have to be funded regardless of the actual use. When you operate a small utility such as ours, you have to assure a minimum amount of revenue to cover these costs. As our customer base expands, we hope to gradually shift the rates such that the majority of costs are recovered by actual usage, as opposed to the current system in which approximately 50% of the cost is fixed regardless of usage.

4. Who can I call if I need further billing information?

Call Sanitary District Billing at the County Finance Office at 410-758-2574 with any questions.

5. What are the current rate schedules?

Visit our Rate Schedules page for more information about our current rates. Rate Schedules Page

6. Why are my water and sewer rates so much more expensive than where I used to live?

Visit our Rate Schedules page for more information about water and sewer rates. Rate Schedules Page

7. How do I get public water and/or wastewater extended to my property?

If you are not currently within the service area, you will need to amend the Master Water and Sewer Plan. Typically extensions are discouraged to areas not within the designated growth areas. Call the Sanitary District office for more information. If in the service area, you should already be receiving a quarterly bill. If your proposed use requires additional sewer (and / or water) allocation, you will need to pay all applicable permit fees.

8. How are new extensions paid for?

The Queen Anne's County Sanitary District is a public enterprise system, which means it must be self-supporting and does not receive tax dollars to operate. Therefore, water and wastewater projects resulting from new development are paid for by the developer. The cost of extending service is borne by the developer requesting the service. Engineering designs are reviewed and approved by the Sanitary District. Once approved, a surety typically must be in place to ensure the work is completed to the approved design, and an inspection fee is paid to the Sanitary District to reimburse the District for field inspection. The property owner would then hire the contractor of their choice to perform the actual construction.

In some cases, the County serves existing developments that have been identified as having failing septic systems. In these cases, an assessment is placed on each property for a period of 20 years and transfers with the sale of the property.

9. What should I do if sewage backs up into my house?

Please visit our Sewage Backup page for more information. Sewage Backup Page

10. What causes a sewage backup?

Visit our Sewage Backup page to learn about possible causes of your sewage backup. Sewage Backup Page

11. What can I do to prevent backups?

Visit our Sewage Backup page for tips on preventing backups in your home. Sewage Backup Page