Municipal Department
City of Santa Maria Utilities Department - Water Resources and Utility Billing Division
Serving Santa Maria
Population served
109,477
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Monthly. Santa Maria mails utility bills monthly for the combined City water, sewer and refuse account.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of Santa Maria Utilities Department - Water Resources and Utility Billing Division operates as a municipal department serving Santa Maria. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Fixed monthly meter charge plus a three-tier increasing-block consumption charge for general-use water. The same City rate materials identify separate residential wastewater fixed charges and variable wastewater charges for commercial/heavy-user classes; permanent water-conservation restrictions also govern outdoor use.. Bills are generated monthly. santa maria mails utility bills monthly for the combined city water, sewer and refuse account., and a typical residential cost reference is The City's published utility FAQ gives a minimum monthly combined utility bill of $75.53 without water usage and an average monthly combined utility bill of approximately $131.16 depending on water use. That figure includes the City's water, sewer and required refuse services, so a water-only total is lower and depends on meter size and the three-tier consumption schedule.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
For 2026, the City rate proposal lists a single-family residential fixed sewer charge of $40.48 per month, with multi-family and hotel/rest-home fixed charges by unit. Commercial and heavy-user classes have variable sewer charges based on water use or measured discharge; Santa Maria's reviewed residential material does not use a winter-average formula.
Meter and infrastructure notes
Santa Maria has virtually 100% Sensus iPERL smart-meter coverage using a secure radio network. The system imports readings into billing software, supplies precise usage data and detects irregular patterns/leaks; the City describes newer meters as producing hourly consumption data. Bills are generated monthly.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
(805) 925-2631 for emergency water service; after regular hours, Santa Maria's FAQ directs urgent meter/leak conditions to Police Dispatch at (805) 928-3781. Water-conservation/leak reports may also be left at (805) 925-0951 extension 2802.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Santa Maria
City of Santa Maria Utilities Department - Water Resources and Utility Billing Division is listed here as a municipal department. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.