Salem water and sewer rates
Who supplies water to Salem houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.
City of Salem
City of Salem water rates for January 2026, billed monthly; the schedule sets further increases each January through 2028. Salem's utility service tax on residential water is 6% of the first $15.00 of revenue, up to $0.90 per service.
| Use a month | Price per 1,000 gallons |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $16.83 a month |
| 0 to 5 thousand gallons | $6.84 |
| 5 to 10 thousand gallons | $7.12 |
| 10 to 75 thousand gallons | $7.68 |
| 75 to 1000 thousand gallons | $8.06 |
| 1000 to more | $4.78 |
- Source
- The source is the Roanoke River and three ground water wells; in emergencies Salem buys or exchanges water with the Western Virginia Water Authority.
- PFAS
- None of the 29 PFAS compounds tested under EPA's UCMR 5 in 2023-2024, or lithium, were detected in Salem's finished drinking water.
- Violations
- The 2025 water quality report lists no violations.
Sewer
City of Salem sewer rates for January 2026: a $24.80 residential base service fee a month plus $5.89 per 1,000 gallons of water used. Salem's utility service tax on residential sewer is 6% of the first $15.00 of revenue, up to $0.90 per service per billing period.
Ways to pay less
- Fixed a leak? Get half the extra water and sewer charge back. If a leak on your property doubles your monthly water/sewer cost compared with your average for the preceding 12 months, the credit is one-half of the excess over that average. It is allowed once in a 12-month period. How: Have a plumbing contractor repair the leak and certify it in writing to Utility Billing (540-375-3026, opt 2).
Sources
- City of Salem: Water Rates
- City of Salem: Sewer Rates
- City of Salem: Water Leak Information
- City of Salem: 2025 Water Quality Report (PDF)
- City of Salem: Stormwater Utility Fee Brochure (proposed, PDF)
Checked October 22, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.
Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.