Salem MA 2026 Commercial Water and Sewer Rates: Level 3 Use Restrictions
Salem’s July 2026 nonresidential water and sewer rates sit beside Level 3 outdoor-use restrictions. Check the 250-CCF boundary and a qualified bill model.
Direct answer
Salem records list July 1, 2026 nonresidential rates of $7.11 per CCF for water and $13.17 per CCF for sewer below the stated 250-CCF monthly threshold. The city separately reports Level 3 conditions that ban nonessential outdoor water use. The reviewed rate FAQ and restriction notice do not list a drought surcharge, and the upper sewer-rate method remains unconfirmed.
July 1
Rate effective
2026 nonresidential schedule
$7.11
Water
Per CCF for nonresidential use
$13.17
Modeled sewer
Per CCF below 250 CCF
Level 3
Current condition
Nonessential outdoor use banned
Official rate facts
The July schedule changes Salem’s nonresidential variable lines
The City of Salem Water & Sewer FAQ lists a nonresidential water rate of $7.11 per 100 cubic feet, effective July 1, 2026. One hundred cubic feet is one CCF, the unit used in the model below.
The same FAQ lists nonresidential sewer at $13.17 per 100 cubic feet up to 25,000 cubic feet per month and $16.87 per 100 cubic feet for 25,000 cubic feet and greater per month. These are usage rates, not an all-in account total.
Open billing question
The source leaves the exact 250-CCF boundary unresolved
Twenty-five thousand cubic feet equals 250 CCF. The City’s wording uses “up to” 25,000 cubic feet for the $13.17 rate and “25,000 cubic feet and greater” for the $16.87 rate, so the two descriptions meet at the same boundary.
The FAQ also does not say whether the upper rate applies to all sewer volume or only a portion once an account reaches that level. A facility near or above 250 CCF should ask Salem how the account is classified before applying the $16.87 figure. The model here stays safely below that boundary.
Current operating rule
Level 3 bans nonessential outdoor water use
Salem’s restriction notice reports Level 3 conditions and says it was last updated July 9, 2026. At Level 3, all nonessential outdoor water uses are banned, and the City may impose other restrictions it deems necessary.
The notice defines nonessential outdoor uses to include sprinkler or automatic irrigation, vehicle washing, washing exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, and filling private swimming pools.
Commercial operating implication
Rate exposure and restriction compliance belong on separate ledgers
Hotels, restaurants, multifamily operators, campuses, retail sites, and other nonresidential accounts should review the variable water and sewer lines from the July schedule. Landscape, fleet, exterior-cleaning, parking-lot, and pool operations must also comply with the current Level 3 rule.
The reviewed rate FAQ and restriction notice do not list a drought surcharge. That does not eliminate penalties, interest, fixed charges, or other account rules that may appear elsewhere. Preserve the actual bill and current City notices rather than treating Level 3 as a new rate.
Water and sewer relationship
The model assumes the same volume is billed to both variable lines
The calculation below assumes 100 CCF of billed water also produces 100 CCF of billed sewer, then compares that with 80 CCF on both lines. A deduct meter, irrigation arrangement, sewer adjustment, or account-specific billing rule could break that relationship.
Fixed, meter, tax, penalty, interest, irrigation, deduct-meter, and other account-specific charges are excluded. The result is a transparent variable-line example, not a Salem bill quote or citywide average.
Smart Valve analysis
The qualified example uses only the verified below-threshold rates
Below 250 CCF, the two included rates total $20.28 per CCF: $7.11 for water plus $13.17 for sewer. Multiplying that combined variable rate by 100 CCF produces $2,028; multiplying it by 80 CCF produces $1,622.40.
This arithmetic is Smart Valve analysis using official rates and declared assumptions. It does not resolve Salem’s upper sewer-rate method, authorize a prohibited outdoor use, or guarantee that a facility can lower billed volume by 20%.
Smart Valve analysis — below the stated threshold
One declared nonresidential monthly variable-line example
Assume billed sewer volume equals billed water volume, no deduct-meter adjustment applies, and both 100 CCF and 80 CCF remain below 250 CCF.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all columns.
| Included variable line | 100 CCF | 80 CCF | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water at $7.11/CCF | $711.00 | $568.80 | $142.20 |
| Sewer at $13.17/CCF | $1,317.00 | $1,053.60 | $263.40 |
| Included variable total | $2,028.00 | $1,622.40 | $405.60 |
The $405.60 modeled difference comes only from the two included variable lines. Fixed, meter, tax, penalty, interest, irrigation, deduct-meter, and account-specific charges remain outside the calculation.
20% usage check
$405.60
Modeled monthly difference at 20% lower included volume
Moving the declared account from 100 CCF to 80 CCF changes included water by $142.20 and included sewer by $263.40, for a combined modeled difference of $405.60.
Boundary: The model assumes equal billed water and sewer volume, stays below 250 CCF, and excludes all fixed and account-specific lines. Actual operating feasibility and billed treatment must be confirmed; Smart Valve does not guarantee this result.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm the account is billed under Salem’s nonresidential water and sewer schedule.
- 2Record billed water CCF and sewer CCF separately instead of assuming they match.
- 3Identify any irrigation or deduct meter, sewer adjustment, fixed charge, penalty, or interest line.
- 4Ask the City how the $16.87 sewer rate applies before modeling an account near or above 250 CCF.
- 5Recheck Salem’s current drought level before scheduling irrigation, washing, exterior cleaning, or pool use.
- 6Keep restriction compliance separate from the rate calculation and from any usage-reduction estimate.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
Smart Valve can help a nonresidential team evaluate controllable metered volume when the actual Salem account confirms that water and sewer charges follow that volume. The qualified example isolates the two verified below-threshold variable lines.
Smart Valve does not change Salem’s rate, resolve the upper sewer band, remove fixed or account-specific charges, authorize restricted outdoor use, or create a drought surcharge. Start with actual bills, meter arrangements, current operating rules, and site conditions.
Related commercial water decisions
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Review the restaurant water decision path
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Prepare a Salem water-bill audit
Collect class, volume, meter, adjustment, and restriction details first.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, calculations, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
What are Salem’s 2026 nonresidential water and sewer rates?
Effective July 1, Salem lists nonresidential water at $7.11 per CCF and sewer at $13.17 per CCF below the stated 25,000-cubic-foot monthly threshold. The FAQ lists $16.87 per CCF at 25,000 cubic feet and greater.
How does Salem apply the higher sewer rate at 250 CCF?
The reviewed FAQ does not resolve whether the $16.87 rate applies account-wide or marginally, and its wording meets at exactly 25,000 cubic feet. Ask Salem how the account is treated before modeling at or above 250 CCF.
What does Salem Level 3 prohibit?
Salem says Level 3 bans all nonessential outdoor water use, including sprinkler or automatic irrigation, vehicle washing, exterior and paved-surface washing, and filling private pools.
Does Salem Level 3 add a drought surcharge?
The reviewed rate FAQ and current restriction notice do not list a drought surcharge. Check the actual bill and current City notices for every fixed charge, penalty, interest rule, or later change.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Effective: July 1, 2026Status checked: July 17, 2026Retrieved: July 17, 2026
Primary official source for nonresidential water and sewer rates, units, effective date, and the stated 25,000-cubic-foot sewer boundary. The page does not explain the upper-band calculation method.
Source URL: https://salemma.gov/m/faq?cat=33
Published: Last updated July 9, 2026Status checked: July 17, 2026Retrieved: July 17, 2026
Primary official source for current Level 3 status, the ban on nonessential outdoor water use, listed examples, and the possibility of additional restrictions.
Source URL: https://salemma.gov/1196/Water-Use-Restrictions-Notice
Audit the Salem variable lines before modeling a reduction
Start with the actual class, water CCF, sewer CCF, meter arrangement, adjustments, and current restriction status. Keep every excluded or unresolved line outside the estimate.