Public Water Authority
Desert Water Agency (DWA)
Serving Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and western Coachella Valley service area
Population served
74,807 people served according to the EPA queue; DWA provides retail water in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and surrounding western Coachella Valley areas, with wastewater charges applying in portions of the service area.
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Monthly. DWA's residential discontinuation policy states that water service charges are billed once every month unless the Board changes the frequency.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Desert Water Agency (DWA) operates as a public water authority serving Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and western Coachella Valley service area. 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 Uniform volumetric rate plus a meter-size fixed monthly charge and zone-specific pumping adders. As of July 1, 2026, potable water is $2.75 per 100 cubic feet (748 gallons), the 5/8 x 3/4-inch fixed charge is $43.27/month, and zone adders are $0.00, $0.32, $0.36, or $0.74 per HCF depending on elevation zone. Chino Creek has a separate $8.46/HCF rate.. Bills are generated monthly. dwa's residential discontinuation policy states that water service charges are billed once every month unless the board changes the frequency., and a typical residential cost reference is At 5,000 gallons (about 6.684 HCF), a standard 5/8 x 3/4-inch account in a zero-adder zone has an illustrative potable-water charge of about $61.65 ($43.27 fixed plus $18.38 volumetric). Where Cathedral City residential sewer applies, adding the published $8.03 DWA sewer service charge and $20.00-$31.96 treatment pass-through gives an approximate combined monthly range of $89.68-$101.64 before any zone adder; Palm Springs and other service areas use different sewer arrangements.. 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
DWA does not operate one uniform sewer tariff across every service area. In Cathedral City residential areas, the bill combines a monthly treatment cost of $20.00-$31.96, passed through from the City of Palm Springs or CVWD depending on location, with DWA's $8.03 sewer service charge. Cathedral City commercial, school, and apartment treatment costs vary by property capacity/flow and may include a $14 grease-trap charge; Palm Springs residents receive sewer service from the City of Palm Springs.
Meter and infrastructure notes
DWA is deploying an Advanced Metering Infrastructure fixed network with agency-owned AMI towers, remote reads, and an eventual customer dashboard for hourly use data. The agency is replacing aging Badger meters and intends to eliminate routine manual drive-by/walk-by reads as the network expands; the reviewed 2026 pages do not state that every meter has already migrated or publish a universal read day.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
760-323-4971 is staffed for emergency messages 24 hours a day, seven days a week; the emergency-preparedness page instructs callers to leave a message for standby personnel. DWA's older customer guidance also directs callers to press 0 during business hours and 4 after hours.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and western Coachella Valley service area
Desert Water Agency (DWA) is listed here as a public water authority. 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.