561 Little Coyote Rd.

Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm

office@wsd363.com

406-995-2660

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  (406) 995 2660

 office@wsd365.com

  Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm

Billing & Rates

Billing & Rates

Welcome New Property Owners!

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Congratulations on your new property in the Big Sky County Water & Sewer District! We’re glad to have you in the community.

There’s no need to call to set up an account—we’ve got it covered. The title company handling your closing will provide us with the necessary information, including prorated base rate and usage fees, along with a transaction fee to complete the account transfer on your behalf.

📬 Want to Confirm Your Billing Info?

If you’d like to confirm your billing address, feel free to give us a call 406-995-2660— we’re happy to assist and make sure everything’s set up correctly for you.

💻 After Your First Billing Cycle:

Once your first quarterly bill is processed, you’ll be able to:

  • Set up online bill pay

  • Sign up for email statements

  • Real-time acces to usage data and alerts

📅 Invoices are sent out quarterly, so you’ll hear from us soon!

If you have any questions or just want to say hello, we’re always here to help. Welcome again to Big Sky!

How Billing Works

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The Big Sky County Water & Sewer District bills all customers for water and sewer services on a quarterly basis, based on the calendar year. Billing is done in arrears, meaning charges reflect usage from the previous quarter.

📬 Bills are mailed during the first week of:

  • January

  • April

  • July

  • October

📊 How Charges Are Calculated

Your sewer and water charges are based on actual water meter readings collected by the District each quarter.

  • Most properties are equipped with radio-connected meters that automatically transmit hourly usage data through our advanced fixed-base meter system.

  • Properties not connected to this system are still billed based on manual meter readings, which are collected at least once per quarter.

This ensures accurate billing based on your real water usage.

Have questions about your bill or meter? Contact us 406-995-2660 — we’re here to help!

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Summary Of Rates, Fees & Charges

Big Sky Water District No. 363
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💧 Current Water Rates (Quarterly)

  • Base Charge: $70.20

  • Volumetric Charges (per 1,000 gallons):

    • Tier 1 (0–20,000 gallons): $3.97

    • Tier 2 (20,001–40,000 gallons): $5.94

    • Tier 3 (40,001–60,000 gallons): $8.34

    • Tier 4 (60,001+ gallons): $11.67

  • Flat Rate Water (per SFE): $78.18

  • Other Water Rates:

    • Wholesale Water: $4.81

    • Bulk (from hydrant): $15.75

    • Reuse Water (non-potable): $1.05 + base charge

🚽 Current Sewer Rates (Quarterly)

  • Base Charge: $112.71

  • Volumetric Charges (per 1,000 gallons):

    • Residential/Condo: $9.16

    • Commercial: $9.60

  • Flat Rate Sewer (per SFE): $106.98

🏠 Vacant Lot Charges (Quarterly)

  • Water: $30.87

  • Sewer: $32.97

📄 Full Rate and Permit Fee Details:
Download the PDF here:
Summary of Rates, Fees & Charges

Notice of Public Rate Hearing

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The Big Sky County Water & Sewer District invites all customers and property owners to a Public Rate Hearing on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 8:00 AM at the District Office. This hearing will address proposed water and sewer rate changes for Fiscal Years 2025–26 and 2026–27. A regular Board meeting will follow at 9:00 AM.

These proposed rate adjustments are necessary to support the District’s ongoing service costs, infrastructure needs, and long-term financial sustainability. If approved, the new rates will go into effect on July 1, 2025.

📄 View the full notice and proposed rates:
👉 Download the Rate Hearing Letter to Customers

Skip the Worry — Enroll in AutoPay!

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Make paying your bill easier than ever! With AutoPay, your bills will be automatically paid on the due date each billing cycle, using your default credit card or bank account. No more worrying about late fees or remembering to pay — we’ve got it covered for you!

Benefits of AutoPay:

  • No late fees — payments are made automatically on time

  • Peace of mind — never forget to pay your bill again

  • Convenient — set it and forget it

Important Notes for Account Setup:

  • LLC/Business/Trust Owners: If your property is listed under an LLC or trust, please enter the full business or trust name when enrolling in AutoPay.

  • Account Number: When entering your account number, simply use your property tax ID — no need to include any numbers after the dash (-).

  • Credit Card Payments – If you elect to pay your bill with a credit card, a 3.75% convenience fee, or a minimum of $3.25 is added to the charge to cover the District’s cost for credit processing. All major credit cards and debit cards are accepted methods to pay your bill.

  • Bank Draft Payments – Bank drafts are charged $0.95 (95 cents) per transaction.

Ready to enroll? Simply log in to your account, then click on AutoPay to set it up. If you have your property

Late Fees Policy

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The Big Sky County Water & Sewer District provides customers with at least a 45-day period to make payments, starting from the billing date. Because we bill in arrears, payments must be received within 45 days from the billing date to be considered current.

After 45 days, if payment has not been received, the account will be considered late and subject to our late fee policy.

Late Fee Details:

  • An annualized 12% late charge is applied to the outstanding balance once the account becomes past due.

  • Late charges are applied:

    • Before late notices are mailed

    • Again just prior to the next quarterly billing

    If you have any questions call Terry at 406-995-2660, or email him at terry@wsd363.com

    Billing Policy For Renters and Owners

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    Effective immediately, the District no longer offers the option to transfer billing of water and sewer charges from the property owner to a tenant or renter. The property owner of record will now be fully responsible for paying all water and sewer charges.

    F.A.Q.

    How It Works

    BSWSD Commercial Rates
    BSWSD Residential Rates

    I. Hookup Fees
    A. Connection Inspection Charges
    Inspection Charge*
    • Remodeling or change in use that changes SFEs
    $50
    • Single Family Residence
    $200
    • Two (2) through Four (4) units of improvement
    $350
    • Five (5) through ten (10) units of improvement; and each commercial building less than or equal to 10,000 square feet
    $500
    • Eleven (11) or more units of improvement; and each commercial building greater than 10,000 square feet
    $1,250
    * For wastewater permitted projects on Westland/TM land in Section 1 the inspection fee shall be 50% of the applicable inspection fee.

    II.  Monthly Sewer Charges                  Effective July 1, 2024
    A. Wastewater User Charges: Commercial
    • Base Rate
    $37.57 per month ($112.71/Qtr.)
    • Variable Rate* charged for every 1,000 gallons of water use.
    $9.60
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    * (Variable charges are calculated on actual use per quarter)
    B. Wastewater User Charges: Residential
    • Base Rate
    $37.57 per month ($112.71/Qtr.)
    • Variable Rate* charged for every 1,000 gallons of water use.
    $9.16
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    * (For single family homes the 2nd & 3rd quarter sewer charges based on winter average use for the period Oct. 1 – March 30 from the preceding year.)
    C. Flat Rate Sewer Rate
    • Sewer SFE Rate Charge
    $35.66 per month ($106.98/Qtr.)
    D. Vacant Lots
    • Sewer Availability
    $9.99
    Per month ($29.97/Qtr)

    II.  MONTHLY WATER USER CHARGES              Effective July 1, 2024
    A. WATER USER CHARGES FOR COMMERCIAL
    • Base Rate
    $23.40 per month ($70.20/Qtr.)
    • Variable Rate[1]charged for every 1,000 gallons of water use.
    Tier 1: 0 to 30,000 Gallons
    $3.97
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 2: 30,000 to 60,000 Gallons
    $5.94
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 3: 60,000 to 80,000 Gallons
    $8.34
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 4: > than 80,000 Gallons
    $11.67
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    [1] (Variable charges are calculated on actual use per quarter)

    B. WATER USER CHARGES FOR RESIDENTIAL
    • Base Rate
    $23.40 per month ($70.20/Qtr.)
    • Variable Rate[1]charged for every 1,000 gallons of water use.
    Tier 1: 0 to 20,000 Gallons
    $3.97
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 2: 20,000 to 40,000 Gallons
    $5.94
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 3: 40,000 to 60,000 Gallons
    $8.34
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 4: > than 60,000 Gallons
    $11.67
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    [1] (Variable charges are calculated on actual use per quarter)

    C. WATER USER CHARGES FOR IRRIGATION METERS
    • Base Rate
    $22.29 per month ($66.87/Qtr.)
    • Variable Rate[1]charged for every 1,000 gallons of water use.
    Tier 1: 0  Gallons
    $0.00
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 2: 0 to 20,000 Gallons
    $5.94
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 3: 20,000 to 40,000 Gallons
    $8.34
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 4: > than 40,000 Gallons
    $11.67
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    [1] (Variable charges are calculated on actual use per quarter)

    D. WATER USER CHARGES FOR REUSE WATER
    • Base Rate
    $23.40 per month ($70.20/Qtr.)
    • Variable Rate[1]charged for every 1,000 gallons of water use.
    Tier 1: 0  Gallons
    $0
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 2: 0 to 90,000 Gallons
    $1.05
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 3: 90 to 120,000 Gallons
    $1.05
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    Tier 4: > than 120,000 Gallons
    $1.05
    Per 1,000 Gals.
    [1] (Variable charges are calculated on actual use per quarter)
    E. Flat Rate Water Rate
    • Water SFE Rate Charge
    $26.06 per month ($78.18/Qtr.)
    F. Vacant Lots
    • Water Availability
    $9.99
    per month (29.97/Qtr.)

     

    III.  Plant Investment Charges * – SFEs per 1,000 Square Feet

    Effective: September 21, 2021
    A1. Sewer Plant Investment Charges
    $5,410 per SFE
    The Sewer PIC shall be five thousand four hundred ten dollars ($5,410) per Single Family Equivalent (SFE) for new connections that have paid the sewer mill levy prior to December 31, 2020.
    A2. Sewer Plant Investment Charges
    $6,170 per SFE
    The Sewer PIC shall be six thousand one hundred seventy dollars ($6,170) per Single Family Equivalent (SFE) for new connections that have NOT paid the sewer mill levy prior to December 31, 2020.
    B1. Water System Investment Charges
    $1,828 per SFE
    The Water SIC shall be one thousand eight hundred twenty eight dollars ($1,828) per Single Family Equivalent (SFE) for new domestic use connections that have paid the water mill levy prior to December 31, 2020.
    B2. Water System Investment Charges
    $2,160 per SFE
    The Water SIC shall be two thousand one hundred sixty dollars ($2,160) per Single Family Equivalent (SFE) for new domestic use connections that have NOT paid the water mill levy prior to December 31, 2020.
    B3. Water Irrigation Meter Sizes
    The Water SIC for all new irrigation use connections serving non-single family residential connections shall be based on meter size. For meter sizes above 4” the SIC shall be determined on a case by case basis. The SIC charge for meter sizes shall be:
    <3/4″
    $4,382
    1″
    $7,429
    1½”
    $14,859
    2″
    $23,774
    3″
    $47,549
    4″
    $74,295
    C. SFE Square Footage Rates for Single Family Homes & Single Condos
    Type of Rate
    Condo Size
    SFEs /1,000 Sq. Ft.
    • Rate 1
    < 2,000 Sq. Ft.
    0.85
    • Rate 2
    2,001 to 3,000 Sq. Ft.
    0.65
    • Rate 3
    3,001 to 4,000 Sq. Ft.
    0.55
    • Rate 4
    > 4,000 Sq. Ft.
    0.45
    *Plant Investment Charge (PIC): For Boyne owned lots (i.e. Cascade, Mountain Village, etc) as of July 25, 1997, the PIC charge is $8,910 per SFE ($5,410 PIC and $3,500 surcharge) as itemized on permit.
    D. SFE Square Footage Rates for Multiple Unit Condominiums
    Type of Rate
    Condo Size
    SFEs /1,000 Sq. Ft.
    • Rate 1
    < 1,000 Sq. Ft.
    0.95
    • Rate 2
    1,001 to 2,000 Sq. Ft.
    0.85
    • Rate 3
    2,001 to 2,300 Sq. Ft.
    0.75
    • Rate 4
    > 2,300 Sq. Ft.
    0.65

    IV.  Bulk Water Rates
    A. Bulk Water User Charges
    • Hydrant Use Permit Fee
    $50
    • Bulk Water Rate for Fills < 1,000 Gallons
    $15
    • Bulk Water Rate for Fills > 1,000 Gallons
    $15 per 1,000 gals

    V. Other Fees
    A. Delinquent Accounts
    Delinquent accounts that are transferred to Gallatin or Madison County for collection through the tax role
    $100
    B. Property Transfers
    Title Company requests for current billing information for property transfers, change of ownership and/or change of renter
    $50
    C. Permit Reimbursements
    Retained connection permit fees for projects not constructed
    $100
    D. Reactivation Charge
    Reactivate water service by turning curbstop back on after it has been shut off.
    $100
    E. Fire Hydrant Flow Test
    Fire hydrant flow test cost per hydrant test
    $150

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    Understanding Your Bill