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1. What is Sewer Rent?

Sewer Rent is a schedule of annual charges established and imposed by the Village of Port Chester for the use of operating, maintaining, upkeep, repair and replacement of the sanitary sewer system.

2. Don’t I already pay a Port Chester Sewer Tax?

Your yearly tax bill includes a Port Chester Sewer Tax which is a tax billed by Westchester County to pay for the county-owned sewage treatment plant that serves our community. It does not cover the costs of maintaining, upkeep, repair, and replacement of the Village-owned sewer lines.

3. How is billing Sewer Rent better than placing the charges on my Taxes?

It is more equitable to bill sewer rent based on the measured amount of water used rather than a bill a flat rate based on the value of your property. The cost you pay for sewer rent is directly related to the amount of water that you use during a billing period.

For example: Two different properties (a single-family home and a laundromat) could have the same property value and would pay the same billed on your taxes. When billed separately from your taxes each system user pays for only the amount of water they use, allowing the bill to be proportionate to usage.

4. Who is eligible for Sewer Rent charges?

All system users are eligible for sewer rent. All bills are addressed and mailed to the same address as real estate bills. If a property changes ownership, the Village must be notified along with the designated water billing authority in advance of the closing title to obtain a final reading and new ownership information.

5. How does this affect Tax Exempt Properties?

The property of the Village of Port Chester is solely exempt from the obligation to pay sewer rent. All sanitary system users, including tax-exempt properties are billed sewer rent in order to preclude the cost of the sanitary sewer system being funded solely from the property tax.

6. Where does the money go?

All revenues from sanitary sewer rents including penalties shall be kept in a separate bank account to be designated as “sewer rent fund” All such funds, together with any interest thereon, shall be used in accordance with General Municipal Law, Section 453.

7. I do not agree with the amount of my Sewer Rent invoice. Can I challenge the invoice?

System users' Sewer Rent bills are calculated using the actual water consumption that is billed by your water provider, Suez Water. If you would like to contest the amount of water used, you will need to contact Suez Water at 877-266-9101. If an adjustment is provided, Suez will notify us and that adjustment will be reflected on a subsequent Sewer Rent invoice.

To request an exemption due to water not being discharged into the sanitary system you must complete a 'Sewer Rent Adjustment Request Form' and submit the form to the Village Manager. This is in accordance with Section 268-4 of the Village Code.

8. Do you offer paperless billing?

Yes.  You can sign up for electronic statement delivery notifications by visiting PortChesterNY@myUtilityDirect.com.  You can sign up directly from the home page or if you already have an online account, you can login to your account and select ‘Go Paperless’ under Account Options.

9. How long do I have to pay the Sewer Rent invoice?

All bills shall become due and payable without penalty within twenty-five (25) days of issuance.

10. What happens if I am late in paying my Sewer Rent invoice.

A penalty of one% will be charged for any bill that remains unpaid after twenty-five (25) days. An additional penalty of one% shall be added for each month or any portion of a month in which the sewer rent continues to remain unpaid. Unpaid sewer rents, penalties and interest shall constitute a lien upon the real property as provided by General Municipal Law, Section 452.

11. What options are there to pay my Sewer Rent invoice?

To pay by U.S. mail - Please enclose your check or money order and remittance coupon inside the supplied return envelope and ensure that you write your account number on your payment form.

To pay over the phone - Contact us at 888-876-1672 to make a payment through our automated phone service or with a customer service specialist. Payment is accepted with Credit/Debit card* or electronic check. *payments made with a Credit/Debit card will incur a 3% convenience fee.

AutoPay, ACH and online bill payment options are available as well. These payment types can be set up through your online financial institution or by visiting us online at portchesterny.myutilitydirect.com.

12. Why is my Sewer Rent bill no longer being sent by Suez Water?

The Village has partnered with Minol USA to provide billing and payment services for Sewer Rent charges. Suez Water generated their last Sewer Rent invoices in May 2019. 

13. How often am I billed for Sewer Rent?

Sewer Rent invoices are calculated and mailed approximately every three months. 

 

14. How can I calculate my costs?

The sewer rent amount is the amount of water consumed during the billing period and multiplied by the current sewer rent rate.  You can keep your cost down by conserving water whenever possible.