Utility Rates and Other Fees

​The City of Salem provides drinking water, wastewater (sewer), stormwater, and streetlight services to residents in the Salem area. Customers are billed for both volume and base fees for these services. Base fees cover the costs of services that occur regardless of how much the service is used (such as reading and maintenance of meters, water quality monitoring, infrastructure maintenance).

Utility rates and fees listed below are for customers inside Salem city limits. Click on the service or fee to see current and proposed fees for water, wastewater, stormwater, and backflow. Fees listed for streetlight, City operations, and other fees are effective 1/1/2020 and 1/1/2021. All fees are set by Salem City Council.

See the current fee resolution for details.

Water volume

A monthly charge is calculated by multiplying the number of units of water used per the meter reading, by the established water volume rate. (One unit of water equals 748 gallons.)

Water base fee

A monthly charge per account/connection for services not related to volume including meter reading, maintenance, and monitoring, based meter size.

Type of ChargeDescriptionFilter1/1/201/1/211/1/22
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
5/8 - 3/4 inch meter
$11.38
$11.72
$12.07
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
1 inch meter
$15.41
$15.87
$16.35
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
1.5 inch meter
$26.69
$27.49
$28.31
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
2 inch meter
$40.23
$41.44
$42.68
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
3 inch meter
$76.32
$78.61
$80.97
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
4 inch meter
$116.93
$120.44
$124.05
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
6 inch meter
$229.72
$236.61
$243.71
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
8 inch meter
$793.67
$817.48
$842.00
​Base charge (by meter size per connection)
10 inch meter
$1,244.84
$1,282.19
$1,320.66
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Single family residential
$2.54
$2.62
$2.70
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Multifamily (individually metered)
$2.54
$2.62
$2.70
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Multifamily (shared meter)
$2.14
$2.20
$2.27
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Irrigation
$3.44
$3.44
$3.64
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Commercial (including Fire)
$2.24
$2.31
$2.38
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Public
$2.43
$2.50
$2.58
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Institutional
$2.08
$2.14
$2.20
Volume rate (by customer class per ccf)
Industrial
$1.53
$1.58
$1.63
Water fill stations (per 400 gallons)
Water fill stations
$0.75
$0.75
$0.75

Wastewater volume

Wastewater (sewer) volume is not metered separately for most customers. Wastewater volume units are determined annually using the average water consumption of two to four measurable meter readings taken on or after November 1. The City uses these water meter readings to calculate the wastewater volume assuming that during this time of year customers generally are not irrigating, tending gardens, or washing cars. Once the wastewater volume is determined, customers are billed the same wastewater volume charge each month, even if water usage is different than the wastewater volume amount.

Wastewater base fee

Base rates charged for wastewater collection and treatment are determined by the service area and customer classification and are assessed per wastewater connection.

Type of ChargeDescriptionFilter1/1/201/1/211/1/22
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (per 1,000 lbs)
Volume (per ccf)
$355.89
$366.57
$377.57
Commercial/Public
Base charge (per account)
$22.45
$23.12
$23.81
Commercial/Public
Volume (per ccf)
$4.94
$5.09
$5.24
Commercial/Public
New(Base charge plus volume [ccf] equal to like business)
Institutional base charge (per account)
New or without measurable water consumption (Base charge by units plus wastewater volume at 5 ccf per unit)
$1,127.99
$1,161.83
$1,196.68
Multifamily
Base charge - Duplex (per account)
$16.29
$16.78
$17.28
Multifamily
Base charge - Triplex (per account)
$17.57
$18.10
$18.64
Multifamily
Base charge - Fourplex (per account)
$18.85
$19.42
$20.00
Multifamily
Base charge - Fiveplex (per account)
$20.12
$20.72
$21.34
Multifamily
Base charge - More than Fiveplex (Add the following to base charge for each unit over five)
$1.28
$1.32
$1.36
Multifamily
Volume (per ccf)
$3.71
$3.82
Significant Industrial Users
Industrial base charge (per account)
$2,012.50
$2,072.88
$2,135.07
Significant Industrial Users
Flow (per million gallons)
$3,400.32
$3,502.33
$3,607.40
Significant Industrial Users
Total Suspended Solids (per 1,000 lbs)
$253.01
$260.60
$268.42
Single family residential
Base charge (per account)
$15.01
$15.46
$15.92
Single family residential
Volume (per ccf)
$3.60
$3.71
$3.82
Single family residential
Without measurable water consumption (wastewater volume at 5 ccf)
$33.01
$34.01
$35.02
Single family residential
New (without history; wastewater volume at 6 ccf)
$36.61
$37.72
$38.84
Single family residential
Vacant (wastewater volume at 0.5 ccf)
$16.81
$17.32
$17.83

Stormwater impervious area

The fee is based on the amount of impervious surface at the service address property and the customer classification.

Stormwater base fee

The base fee is charged to all utility accounts regardless of the amount of impervious surface at the service address property. The base charge supports stormwater programs such as dispatch services, street sweeping, account maintenance, and includes the impervious surface area of public streets.

Type of ChargeDescriptionFilter1/1/201/1/211/1/22
Base charge (per account)
Base charge (per account)
$11.09
$11.64
$12.22
Impervious Area rate for all other classifications (based on total area)
Rate per EDU (3,000 square feet of impervious area)
$6.08
$6.38
$6.70
Single family residential impervious area fee (based on tier)
Tier 1 (less than or equal to 1,330 square feet)
$5.32
$5.59
$5.87
Single family residential impervious area fee (based on tier)
Tier 2 (greater than 1,330 but less than 2,900 square feet)
$6.08
$6.38
$6.70
Single Family Residential impervious area fee (based on tier)
Tier 3 (greater than or equal to 2,900 square feet)
$6.84
$7.18
$7.54

The City of Salem is required to manage a testing program to protect the drinking water system from potential sources of contamination through the installation and testing of backflow prevention assemblies. Oregon Administrative Rule 333-061-070 and Salem Revised Code 72.190 require a backflow prevention assembly be installed on residential and commercial water services that have the potential to contaminate the City’s water system. These assemblies are required to be tested on an annual basis to ensure proper function. The City’s Backflow Prevention Program ensures compliance with local and state code and rules. The backflow prevention fee is charged to all accounts required to have a backflow prevention assembly.

Type of ChargeDescriptionFilter1/1/201/1/211/1/22
Base charge (per account)​
Backflow prevention fee
$1.50
$1.50
$1.50

The streetlight fee covers the cost to operate, upgrade, and expand the City of Salem’s streetlight system. Streetlight costs include electricity and maintenance of the system, as well as gradual installation of streetlights in neighborhoods where they currently are not in place but are desired by residents.The fee is charged to all accounts and is based on customer classification.

Type of ChargeDescriptionFilter1/1/201/1/21
Commercial (greater than or 3,000 square feet of impervious area)
Base charge (per account)
$13.50
$13.50
Commercial (less than or equal to 3,000 square feet of impervious area)
Base charge (per account)
$2.80
$2.80
Industrial
Base charge (per account)
$13.50
$13.50
Institutional
Base charge (per account)
$13.50
$13.50
Irrigation
Base charge (per account)
$2.80
$2.80
Multifamily 26 units or more
Base charge (per account)
$18.00
$18.00
Multifamily 4 units or less
Base charge (per account)
$2.80
$2.80
Multifamily 5 to 25
Base charge (per account)
$10.40
$10.40
Public
Base charge (per account)
$13.50
$13.50
Single family residential
Base charge (per account)
$2.80
$2.80

The City of Salem charges a five-percent franchise fee is charged to all utilities using the City’s right-of-way. This fee is assessedon telephone, electricity, natural gas, and cable providers. The City uses the franchise fee revenue for general government services including police, fire, parks, and library services. City of Salem utilities (water, wastewater, and stormwater) for using the City's right-of-way. The franchise fee is calculated monthly on all utility charges for customers inside the city limits on all utility charges except the bBackflow pPrevention fee, and sStreetlight fee, and City Operations fee.

​The City operations fee is a separate fee to continue existing emergency, library, park maintenance, social, and other essential services. This flat fee is collected through City utility bills based on the type of account, not based on property value.

Type of ChargeDescriptionFilter1/1/201/1/21
Commercial
Base charge (per account)
$38.56
$38.56
Industrial
Base charge (per account)
$38.56
$38.56
Institutional
Base charge (per account)
$38.56
$38.56
Multifamily
Base charge per unit (per account)
$6.40
$6.40
Public
Base charge (per account)
$38.56
$38.56
Single family residential
Base charge (per account)
$8.00
$8.00

Private fire protection

A monthly private fire protection service fee in the amount of $2 per inch of pipe diameter of main connection is applied to accounts inside the Salem city limits that have automatic sprinkler systems, private fire hydrants, and standpipes.

Utility account fees

Other fees listed below may be charged to your utility account as appropriate.

Type of Charge1/1/201/1/211/1/22
Bypass water meter
$200.00
$200.00
$200.00
Curb stop key deposit
$75.00
$75.00
$75.00
Damaged/replacement curb stop
$300.00
$300.00
$300.00
Dishonored payment
$35.00
$35.00
$35.00
Meter tampering/damage
$200.00
$200.00
$200.00
New account activation
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
Service disconnection for nonpayment
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
Special handling/reprocessing
$15.00
$15.00
$15.00
Suspended account activation
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
Water meter installation
$150.00
$150.00
$150.00
Water meter obstruction, each additional occurrence
$200.00
$200.00
$200.00
Water meter obstruction, first occurrence
$100.00
$100.00
$100.00
Water meter removal
$250.00
$250.00
$250.00

Please contact Customer Services Utility Billing for information regarding rates for customers outside of Salem city limits.

A utility bill estimator is available for residential, multi-family, commercial, and public customers to calculate estimated charges using current consumption values and rates.

Changes in customer utility bills will vary depending on customer characteristics such as water consumption, wastewater volume and strength, and amount of impervious area.

Estimate your bill

Apply for utility rate relief program

 

Apply for utility rate relief program

Contact us

Customer Services Utility BillingPublic Works Department
Monday–Friday
8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
1410 20th Street SE Building 2
Salem OR 97302-1200
Mail payments to:
P.O. Box 2795
Portland OR 97208-2795
Phone: