Yes. The base fees for water and sewer are used for a combination of fixed costs. The meter needs to be read each month and processed. The water company’s fixed expenses exist even without water or sewer consumption. This cost is shared by all customers, so that the availability of water and/or sewer is constant.

Usually, any increase in rates are effective on October 1st yearly. There will be a message on your utility bill alerting you to any increases. If it is any other time of year, you may want to check for excess water usage, up to and including the possibility of a leak. Please be mindful that you need to use the water first, then you are billed the next month for the usage. There is a leak check guide on our web site that you can follow to see if you can detect anything happening at your location.

If you experience a leak at the property there are a few options. (Here’s how to check for a water leak.)  Once the leak is repaired, you have 90-days from the first high water bill to apply for a credit. You are only allowed up to two months of credit for each yearly submission due to leaks. The supporting documentation is for the auditors to show them a repair had been completed and the high water usage will not be happening any more. The credit will depend upon how much water was actually used. If the balance, after an approved credit adjustment is still high, we offer short-term payment plans to assist with making this type of situation more affordable to the customer. There is no interest or fees associated with a payment plan due to a leak.

Sometimes when a meter’s lifespan is at the end it will slow down or stop. Please be advised that you are always responsible for all of the water that runs through the meter, even if the register is not reading. There are certain situations where we can back bill you for water usage. This puts undue hardship on a customer to have their regular bill PLUS any back due months of usage. Please be mindful and let Customer Service know if your usages are a lot lower than normal or much higher than normal.

Please note that all payments are counted when we receive the payment in our office. Intent of delivery will not get a penalty late fee to change. Mail runs are not always dependable unfortunately. Also note that if you are scheduled for disconnection or received notification of disconnection, your best option is to pay at least the day before the disconnection date online, via phone, one of our drop boxes or in-person to avoid the additional charges associated with that processing.

Several people take advantage of a few possible options. One option is to set-up AutoPay on the account. You can still pay your utility bill monthly but if a major life event happens that disrupts your normal lifestyle, the AutoPay will only pull funds if funds are due on the account. Second option a few customers do is to pay ahead, like a lump sum, and just watch their bill for when they need to send in funds again. This is a nice option for people that are going to be away from their residence for a long period of time and do not want to miss paying their utility bill or getting late fees or other items assessed to the account.

We do not offer budget billing at this time. This may be part of a future upgrade to our processes in the next few years.

Customers may seek assistance from various area churches or charitable organizations, such as the Salvation Army or Catholic Charities. Payments should be made directly to Okaloosa County Water & Sewer (OCWS).

The emergency line for after-hours calls, weekends or holidays: 850-651-7141. We will send a utility worker to assess the situation.

Yes. If renting you will need a full copy of your lease. All services will require a copy of your government issued ID (driver’s license, passport, military ID, etc.). 

Okaloosa County services many areas in the county. It is best to work with your leasing agent/realtor to determine if we provide service to your specific location. You can call or email our offices asking if we service a location as well. Additionally, you may find, in certain areas, that you will receive two utility bills (one for water and one for sewer) from two different entitles. It depends upon your specific location and what services are available in that area. If Okaloosa County creates new service area, due to development or upgrades, a property will be required to connect to the services provided within a year of time. There is also a W&S Service Map with our service areas.

Vigorous boiling water for at least one full minute is the safest and most efficient method of water disinfection. You can do this on the stove or in a microwave. Using bottled water as a back-up option as well.

If you accidently drink tap water, don’t panic – the chances of becoming ill are slim. See your doctor if you experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal cramps, but illnesses caused by waterborne germs usually are not serious.

Sometimes, for several reasons, there could be a loss in water pressure. Each situation is stand alone and needs to be evaluated. First, there could be a water main break in your general area. When this happens, the homes affected that require a boil water notice will receive one. There is also fire hydrant flushing, that will give a short-term water pressure reduction. Finally, it is possible you have a leak at your property and you may need to call a plumber to check on the situation. When in doubt please call or email waterinformation@myokaloosa.com.

Water quality reports are due yearly to the State of Florida for the previous calendar year. Once reviewed and approved by the State, they are posted to the County’s web site for viewing. There is a delay of several months for all of the processing of the yearly reports.

At some point you have probably noticed small colored flags placed in your yard or around town. Sometimes the ground is also marked with different colors of paint. This means that someone in the area is planning to dig and they did the responsible thing and called 811. This allows utilities to come out and mark their buried lines before the project begins. Utilities will send out locators to come and mark the approximate location of buried utilities so whomever is doing the digging can avoid them. Each utility type corresponds to a specific color of paint – for example, gas lines are marked with yellow paint or flags. Work being performed by contractors is almost always in the right-of-way, or within an existing utility easement. Residents shouldn’t mow over, or remove flags, especially if they value their water, sewer, gas, internet, phone or other services.

Connection of existing structures to the new water and sewer lines is mandatory. Upon completion of the construction along the street, property owners will be notified by mail that the line(s) are available and connection is required. Abandonment of the existing connections will be required within 365 days after notification.

This may be a good idea to ensure that no leaks develop while you are gone. A burst washing machine hose or broken line to a boat dock, for example, can have disastrous and expensive consequences. Even a leaking toilet will cause a high water consumption. By turning off the shut-off valve, usually on the side of the house near a faucet can protect your property.

• Set a timer when adding water to your swimming pool, very few have avoided the unfortunate experience of forgetting that a hose is adding water to the swimming pool and the water will continue to fill the pool and overflow.
• Also, do not use the toilet as a wastebasket. Dispose of tissues and other similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
• Consider selecting native Florida drought-tolerant plants for landscaping. Native vegetation appropriately placed will remain healthy with minimal supplemental irrigation and care. Use mulch to help save water. Mulch in the landscape shades the soil from direct sun so it stays moist longer.