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General Utilities

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1. Can I change my 30-day temporary service to be a permanent account?

Yes, if you notify us that you would like the account to remain active beyond the initially established period and pay the appropriate deposit prior to the date of scheduled termination, we will change the account to permanent status.

2. How much are the late fees and how can I avoid them?

Late fees equal 10% of the balance due at the time the bill becomes delinquent or a minimum of $2.00. Late fees will not be generated if the entire bill is paid each month within 20 days following the bill date.

Some customers elect to pay only the outstanding portion of their bill each month (just enough to avoid nonpayment service disconnection). When this is done, late fees continue to apply every month on the delinquent balance due. Please contact our office at 863-471-5112 if you would like assistance in getting caught up on your bills and avoiding future late fees.

3. I am moving out of town, will my last bill be the final amount owed?

At the time service termination is requested, we will take a final reading. A final bill will then be generated from your last reading date through the date of your final reading. Any deposit on file will be applied to this balance due. The remaining deposit will be refunded or if a balance remains due a final bill will be mailed to the address given at the time service termination is requested.

4. I don’t get paid until the 1st of the month; can you change my billing date?

Although the City cannot change the billing or delinquent date of individual bills, we do our best to work with all of our customers, including those that are on a fixed income. If you rely solely on a social security income and know that you will only get this check at the 1st of every month, we can note your account so that late fees will not be applied on the scheduled delinquent date. Please bring us a copy of your social security statement so that we may process this benefit for you.

Please also note that we are not interested in the amount of monthly income. We only require this documentation to support us in placing you on this special status so that customers that do not have this special need are not placed on this status unfairly.

This only protects against late fee generation and does not protect your account from nonpayment service disconnection if the bill is not paid before the next bill is mailed.

5. I have a septic tank, why do I have to pay a monthly sewer charge?

The State of Florida requires residents to hook into municipal sewer systems when they are available and the monthly sewer fee must be paid. However, local provisions allow residents to continue using operable septic systems, eliminating the cost associated with hooking into the City’s sewer system. Should residents choose to continue using their own septic system, the monthly sewer fee will still apply if the central sewer system is available to the residence.

If the septic system needs repair or replacement, hook up to the wastewater system is required by law, providing that adequate slope/fall and access is available. The city staff will determine that portion of the connection.

6. I just got married/divorced; can you change the name on my account?

At the time of service establishment, the account holder is required to sign an application accepting full responsibility for the water service. The account holder also places a deposit on file with us. Because of this, we will not change the name on a utility account unless the account holder is deceased and the spouse provides a death certificate or unless a divorce decree or marriage certificate is provided indicating who is responsible for all utility accounts and that they have assumed ownership of all deposits.

We will, however, do our best to work with you if a name change is needed. Although we must complete the appropriate paperwork and refund the original deposit to the account holder, we may be able to use the last reading on account if both parties agree. Therefore, it may be possible for only a new deposit to be put on file and this process will effectively and efficiently accomplish our goal while protecting all involved parties. Please contact our office at 863-471-5112 to discuss this further.

7. I’m going away for 3 months; can I pay my bill in advance?

You can absolutely pay in advance. Should you choose to pay in advance, you will see a credit on your monthly bill and current charges will still be detailed on each monthly statement and deducted from the credit remaining.

8. I’m only here 6 months during the year; do you have a vacation rate?

The City of Sebring does not have an established rate for vacationers, however, when less than 1,000 gallons is used during a monthly billing period, only the base rate for water will be charged and the sewer charge will be reduced to $2.49 Inside limits and $3.11 outside (residential). This is excluding our Highlands Utility, Harder Hall, and Sebring Airport customers.

Another option is to have the city terminate your service while you’re away and reconnect upon your return. We will hold your deposit on file and lock your water meter so that monthly charges will not generate and you will not be liable for any water usage occurring from theft and/or leaks during this time. The charge for disconnecting and reconnecting service is $40 each time, however, depending on the length of time you are away, you may end up paying this much in base monthly rates anyway. Plus this eliminates any worry of water use that you would be responsible for.

9. If I establish service in the middle of a billing period, will my monthly base rate be prorated for the number of days service was provided?

Yes it will. To calculate this amount, divide the appropriate base rate by the number of days in the month then multiply that amount by the number of days that service was provided.

10. My company is sales tax exempt. Why do I have to pay tax on my utility bill?

Tax charged on all utility accounts within the City of Sebring is a utility tax and is not a sales tax.

11. What should I do if I learn that one of my check payments is going to be returned for insufficient funds?

Contact our office immediately at 863-471-5112 so that you may pay the needed fees to avoid service interruption. The City of Sebring charges for all returned checks.

Water Rates:

• $25 for check up to $50


• $30 for check up to $300


• $40 for check up to $800


• 5% for check over $800

12. When does my bill become delinquent?

Bills become delinquent and late fees are applied when the balance is not paid within 20 days following the bill date.

13. When is my bill due?

All utility bills are due when rendered.

14. When should I expect to get a bill each month?

Bills are mailed on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Friday of every month. Your bill will indicate a Cycle of 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the top above the service address. If your cycle is:

1. Your bill will be mailed the 1st Friday of every month


2. Your bill will be mailed the 2nd Friday of every month


3. Your bill will be mailed the 3rd Friday of every month


4. Your bill will be mailed the 4th Friday of every month

You can expect to get it in the mail within a few days following. If you do not receive a bill during the time that it is expected, please contact our office, we will gladly discuss your balance and mailing address to ensure that future bills arrive and late fees are not generated.

Periodically, bills will be mailed a day or so sooner or later on account of holiday schedules.

15. When will I get my deposit back?

Deposits are refunded upon account termination. Typically the final bill will be taken from the deposit and the balance is refunded.

16. When will my service be turned off for nonpayment?

We do not turn off for nonpayment of current bills. When a bill is mailed, you are given 20 days to pay the balance due. On the 21st day, late fees will be applied to any outstanding balance due. When your next bill goes out, the outstanding balance will be reflected as a past due balance and you are granted 9 days to pay this amount in full or to arrange other payment arrangements to avoid service interruption.

17. Who is responsible for the repair if there is a leak in my meter box?

The connection from the meter to your home is the customer’s responsibility. Any leaks found between the meter and the home must be fixed by the customer. If a leak is on the city’s side of the meter, the water is lost before the usage reaches the meter so the customer will not be charged for this. The city is responsible for repairing leaks on their side of the meter. Please contact us at 863-471-5112 if such a leak is discovered or if you need assistance determining who is responsible for the repairs

18. Why are my monthly rates higher because I live outside the city?

City water and sewer service was established to benefit city residents. We have extended our service area beyond city limits but there is a cost to doing this and rates for service beyond city limits have been established higher than those services within city jurisdiction to pay for the additional cost.

In addition, larger horsepower pumps, additional storage, and larger water transmission lines are required to provide adequate water and water pressure to commercial and residential services in the outlying areas of the city. That added cost is why a surcharge is added to customers outside city limits.

19. Why are the meter tampering fees so high?

Because of the risk of cross contamination and jeopardizing the integrity of the entire water system, the City will charge $112.35 for tampering with a water meter. In addition, the violator will be charged for all expenses relating to the meter tampering including the costs of locks broken and/or removed. Water will not be restored until the fees have been paid.

20. Why are the rates / charges so high?

Rates and charges were originally adopted by council to generate the amount of revenue required to operate the utility. A comparison of the rates and charges of other municipally owned utilities have indicated that our rates are competitive.

We do however, constantly review operations to improve and ensure efficiency. Because a specific amount of revenue is required for continued operation of our utility, reducing a rate in one area would require an increase in another area, unless there was another operational change made.

21. Why do I have to pay a disconnection fee to terminate my utility service?

Rates and charges were originally adopted by Council to generate the amount of revenue required to operate the utility. The $44.10 charge required for connection and/or disconnection was established at that time as well. This not only funds the gas and time required for account processing but also funds staffing, insurance, and other required costs to operate the utility.

Only one $44.10 fee is required for each trip made by our meter readers and this is always charged to new customers so it is possible to avoid the $44.10 disconnection fee if the new customer completes the process to establish a new account requiring only one trip into the field. The disadvantage to this approach is that the account remains the account holder’s responsibility until either they request service termination or the new customer establishes service. Therefore, we would advise that you check back with us to ensure that the new customer has come in to eliminate your future responsibility.

22. Why do I have to pay for garbage service on a commercial project before the building is completed?

Waste generated during construction that is not considered construction debris, such as lunch wrappings and so forth, will be picked up by the city’s Sanitation Department from the time construction begins. Solid waste is charged on all commercial water accounts at a minimum of $42.26 can service or the applicable dumpster rate as the need is determined.

23. Why do I have to pay for garbage service on the property tax bill regardless of whether or not the home is occupied?

The City of Sebring followed the lead of Highlands County by assessing the solid waste fees on the tax roll. Because this is a more efficient means of billing and collection, it has enabled the City to reduce the solid waste charges for each resident from $15 per month to now only $12.75 per month.

$190 per residential unit is charged on the annual tax roll for all improved properties within the city limits. Because the city cannot police when a unit is occupied and the service must still be provided year round regardless of whether the unit is occupied or not, everyone is charged the same fair rate.

24. Why do I have to pay my full balance before I can transfer my utility service?

Although a utility deposit is required for all active accounts, we will allow you to transfer your deposit from one location to another within a 30-day period without paying an additional deposit for the secondary service. However, any amount due on the current account must be paid in full so that there is a sufficient deposit on file to cover the charges to be generated on the new account.

25. Why do I need identification to establish a utility account?

All utility accounts require a signed application and legal identification to establish a contract protecting both the city and the customer. Utility customers must be of legal age to assume the responsibility and pledge to pay the monthly utility charges. This also allows us to protect the customer from someone else requesting a change in the account without the account holder’s consent.

26. Why is a Declaration of Covenant necessary for a new meter to be installed outside City limits?

The City of Sebring will extend water service outside city limits in areas where the city has potential to grow based on the availability of water, sufficiency of reserve capacity to support the existing water system, the economics of the extension of service, and other related factors. In doing so, the city requires that a Declaration of Covenant committing to annex should the city ever attempt to grow in that area.

27. Why must I pay a deposit for every account?

Deposit requirements have been established by the City of Sebring Council to protect the city and its customers from absorbing the costs of uncollected utility charges. Every account allows a greater balance due as additional services are provided. Therefore, for each account, a deposit is required. We do however recognize that some customers have a proven outstanding payment history. Although we do not have a current policy in place that will allow us to waive deposit requirements or to refund them while an account remains active, but this will be something staff will be researching for future council consideration.