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 What is my bill for?
Your sewer service bill is for clean water. The Clark County Water Reclamation District maintains a collection system of pipelines under the streets, delivering the wastewater from the homes and businesses to the treatment facilities. The District's treatment facilities are operated 24 hours each day, 7 days per week, cleaning wastewater to meet very stringent standards. After an 8-1/2 hour journey through the treatment processes, the water is clean enough to be reused or released into the environment
How are rates determined?
A rate resolution has been adopted by the District's Board of Trustees. The rates are charged on an equity basis, as the pipelines and treatment facilities are built to provide enough capacity for each customer. Residential customers are billed according to their structural classification (single family home, condominium, mobile home, etc.). Commercial customers are also billed by their category.
Are there any discounts available?
Yes. If you pay the annual charge prior to July 31, you receive a $12.00 discount.
What about a vacant property?
Properties that are vacant for part of the year must still pay the full annual charge. Unlike other utilities where you pay for what you consume, the wastewater pipelines and treatment facilities are built to serve each of the connected customers. Even if the property is temporarily unoccupied, you have reserved capacity in the lines and treatment plant. This is referred to as an equity system, and you do not have to pay a connection or start-up fee each time for turning the utility "back on."
What are my payment options?
On the annual bill, you may choose to pay the minimum amount and be billed each remaining quarter, or to pay the entire year's amount, taking a discount of $12.00. See the front of your billing statement for the actual billing amount.
How do I pay my bill?
You can mail your payments to the District, pay the bill in person at our offices, utilize the drop box at our front entrance, or you can pay your bill online. Our address is:
5857 East Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89122
Flamingo Road ends at our front entrance, about 1.5 miles
east of Nellis Boulevard. The drop box is right outside our
entrance and is accessible 24 hours per day. The Customer
Service Counter is open Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.
We are closed weekends and legal holidays.
You may also pay your bill by phone. You may make a credit card or check payment by phone at (866) 968-7226, with no additional charge, available 24 hours a day.How do I
change Ownership / Billing Information?
If you have purchased a new property and need to change the
billing information, please contact us at 458-1180 or call
our toll free number at 1-800-782-4324. You can also e-mail
us using one of the following links.
The Water Reclamation District does not disconnect services.
The same account number remains with the property at all times.
Only the name of the legal owner can be changed.
 How do the District rates compare to other cities and counties?
Sewer service rates differ from community to community throughout the country. The District's sewer service rates for a single family residence are the lowest in the Las Vegas Valley. According to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), index for 2009, nationally, the average annual costs for wastewater services for a single family home was $346. The key factor in determining rates is the level of treatment necessary to clean the wastewater. The communities in Southern Nevada must provide a high level of treatment in order to protect Lake Mead and the Colorado River. Our water cycle in Southern Nevada is very unique compared to other communities. As the primary source of our drinking water, the Colorado River is the same body of water where the reclaimed water is discharged. Most communities do not have to meet the treatment standards set for the Southern Nevada communities.
What is meant by sanitary sewer system?
Sanitary sewer systems are the collection of pipes, pumps and lift stations, manholes, service lines, and other infrastructure throughout Clark County designed to handle and safely transport used water, body wastes, and toilet paper as sewage to a treatment plant.
What is the difference between the storm drainage system and the wastewater system?
The storm drainage systems consists of the natural and manmade channels and underground pipes (storm drains) that transport rainwater from streets, yards and other areas. This water goes directly to our creeks, rivers and lakes carrying pollutants with it. Water entering the storm drainage system is not treated. The storm water entering the storm drainage system flows directly into the Las Vegas Wash and eventually to Lake Mead. The wastewater entering the wastewater collection system flows directly to a wastewater treatment plant. The two systems are not connected in any way.
What is the sewer main line?
The sewer main line is a utility pipe that carries wastewater from the connected laterals to the wastewater treatment plant (via sewer force or gravity main).
What is a sewer service lateral?
A sewer lateral is the pipe that carries the wastewater from a home to the sanitary sewer main line (the utility pipe that carries wastewater from the connected laterals to the wastewater treatment plant) under the street. The service lateral is constructed during the construction of the home to serve the individual property, and is an extension of the property. It is a private sewer located on private property not serving the community at large. Every building receiving sewer service has at least one sewer lateral.
Whose line is it?
The home owner is responsible for the entire sewer lateral, from their structure, all the way to the District’s Sewer Main, including the connection.
The cleaning, repair and replacement of the service lateral is the responsibility of the property owner. The property service lateral extends all the way from the residence to the District sewer main. Lateral maintenance includes periodic rodding or cleaning to keep it free from foreign matter, including roots from any source.
If a problem arises with the service lateral, property owners should have a licensed plumber or drain cleaning specialist perform the necessary service, repair or when necessary, replacement. The property owner retains ownership of all laterals or other service connections originating on their property to the point of connection to the public line, which is operated and maintained by the District.
What does the “public” side and the “private” side of my sewer lateral mean?
In Clark County, the resident is responsible for the entire sewer lateral, from their structure, all the way to the District’s Sewer Main, including the connection.
What is a lift station?
Lift stations pump the sewage uphill from a low point which enables the sewage to flow by gravity to the next low point and eventually into one of Clark County’s Wastewater Treatment Plants.
What happens to the water I flush?
The water you flush goes through your internal pipes and ends up in the County’s sanitary sewer system, which eventually flows to a treatment facility. The main facility, which handles most of Clark County’s wastewater (over 93 million gallons per day), is located at 5857 E. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas.
Who owns and operates the Wastewater Treatment Facility and Collection System?
All of the wastewater treatment facilities in unincorporated Clark County fall under the jurisdiction of the Clark County Water Reclamation District.
How does the District treat wastewater?
At the wastewater plant, sewage from the collection system enters the preliminary treatment facility that screens out objects and lets sand and gravel settle out of the wastewater. The water flows into tanks to be mixed with oxygen and activated sludge. In these aeration tanks, bacteria break down or stabilize organic materials. Next, bacteria are allowed to settle out in clarifiers. The settled sludge is returned to the aeration tanks. The effluent is then either discharged to the Las Vegas Wash or further processed to be used as reclaimed water for irrigation. For more detail on each of these processes, please take the virtual tour.
Why can't I pipe my sump pump into my sanitary drain?
The Clark County Water Reclamation District does not allow storm water to be run into the sanitary system in order to keep at a minimum, the amount of water that needs to be treated, therefore trimming the expense of treating storm water, which would serve no useful purpose.
What is the purpose of vapor traps?
Every water fixture in your house has a vapor trap, sometimes known as a p trap. This “U” shaped pipe is clearly visible under sinks, and is present in some form on all lines draining to the sewage system. The “U” shape holds water, preventing gases from backing up from the sewer into the house through the sink drain.
What is the purpose of the roof vent?
All houses have plumbing vents (also called a vent stack) that extend through the roof. These vents allow air to flow both in and out of the house plumbing system, helping water to flow through the pipes. Working in combination with the vapor traps, gases from the sewer system are safely vented
What are some of the problems that can occur?
When sewer gasses are present inside the home, usually one or more vapor traps has dried out. The water in a vapor trap will evaporate if the fixture is not used often; seldom-used bathrooms or utility sinks are common odor sources. The simple solution is to periodically run water (one or two cups) into the drain to refill the trap.
How can I help keep the sewer system clean?
You can be a member of the Clean Water Team by taking simple steps to keep the sewer system free of debris and FOGG (fats, oils, grease and grit). By keeping certain items out of the drains and out of the sewers, we all can prevent sewer back-ups and Sanitary Sewer Overflows. Click here for items that should never go down the drain.
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