Municipal Department
San Bernardino Municipal Water Department
Serving City of San Bernardino and the active municipal water-service territory served by the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department
Population served
214,665 residents in the active California Drinking Water Watch operating-period record for CWS CA3610039, with approximately 41,208 residential and 4,927 commercial metered connections. The system is groundwater-primary and is officially listed as active by the California State Water Resources Control Board.
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Monthly. SBMWD says all accounts are billed in monthly intervals and automatic bill payments are drafted approximately 19 days after the billing date.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
San Bernardino Municipal Water Department operates as a municipal department serving City of San Bernardino and the active municipal water-service territory served by the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department. 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 Increasing block residential commodity tiers plus a fixed monthly meter charge, with separate wastewater charges. Effective July 1, 2026, the approved single-family residential water commodity schedule is Tier 1 for 0–13 HCF at $1.71/HCF, Tier 2 for 14–23 HCF at $2.29/HCF, and Tier 3 for 24 HCF and above at $3.10/HCF. The 5/8- or 1/2-inch monthly meter charge is $28.66; the 3/4-inch charge is $39.02. One HCF equals 748 gallons. The July 1, 2026 schedule is part of a five-year water and wastewater rate plan through 2030.. Bills are generated monthly. sbmwd says all accounts are billed in monthly intervals and automatic bill payments are drafted approximately 19 days after the billing date., and a typical residential cost reference is At 5,000–7,000 gallons per month, about 6.7–9.4 HCF, a typical single-family 5/8-inch meter’s water-only charge under the July 1, 2026 schedule is approximately $40–$45: $28.66 fixed monthly charge plus first-tier usage at $1.71/HCF. The Department’s official combined example is $109.52 per month for a 5/8-inch home using 15 HCF (11,220 gallons) of water, including water and wastewater; a 5,000–7,000-gallon household should generally be below that example, but the exact combined total depends on the wastewater rate, meter size, and other account charges.. 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
SBMWD bills water and wastewater as separate components under the adopted rate schedule. The current 2026 rate-change example shows a combined single-family monthly bill of $109.52 for a 5/8-inch meter using 15 HCF, but the public summary does not expose one universal residential winter-average formula or fixed percentage tie-in for the wastewater component. Customers should use the Department’s current bill calculator or call 909-384-5095 for the exact sewer charge tied to their meter, class, and usage.
Meter and infrastructure notes
Historically, SBMWD states that water use is read monthly by Department meter readers. The Department is upgrading meters to Advanced Metering Infrastructure using a cellular network that sends continuous water-consumption data, enabling faster email, text, or phone alerts for high or unusual usage. The Department says AMI meters measure usage and identify patterns but do not locate leaks or remotely shut off or restrict water flow. Rollout is active in 2026, while exact installation dates and telemetry availability remain address-specific.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
909-384-5141, the Department’s main emergency number staffed by an answering service for water and sewer emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Use it for street leaks, water-main breaks, hit hydrants, sewer spills, and other urgent conditions. Customer account, billing, start/stop, and restoration questions use 909-384-5095 during normal hours.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for City of San Bernardino and the active municipal water-service territory served by the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department
San Bernardino Municipal Water Department 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.