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Bill each apartment for the water it uses instead of carrying one master bill. AQUEES recommends the meters and coordinates with your preferred plumber, who installs them. We read every unit monthly, prepare unit bills that follow the North Carolina Utilities Commission's rules and flag leaks.
On a master meter, the owner pays for every running toilet and long shower in the building. A meter on each unit puts each resident's use on that resident's bill.
North Carolina lets owners bill residents for water only from each unit's own meter, at the utility's usage rate plus a small monthly fee. Formulas that split the master bill are not allowed.
Durham raised water and sewer rates about 12% and Greensboro about 11% for fiscal 2027. In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, usage charges run about $81 a month for a typical apartment. See the table below.
We read every unit each month, so a stuck flapper or a hidden leak shows up at the next read. That matters here: residents can't be billed for a leak they didn't know about or had reported.
| Area | Utility | Water + sewer per 1,000 gallons | Per apartment per month | Per year, 20-unit building |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill & Carrboro | OWASA | about $23.40 | about $81 | about $19,400 |
| Asheville | City of Asheville + MSD sewer | $16.35 | about $57 | about $13,600 |
| Durham | City of Durham | about $14.55 | about $50 | about $12,100 |
| Raleigh | Raleigh Water | about $14.47 | about $50 | about $12,000 |
| High Point | City of High Point | $14.25 | about $49 | about $11,800 |
| Greensboro | City of Greensboro | about $13.43 | about $46 | about $11,200 |
| Charlotte | Charlotte Water | $12.85 | about $44 | about $10,700 |
| Winston-Salem | City/County Utilities | $12.56 | about $43 | about $10,400 |
| Greenville | Greenville Utilities Commission | $11.73 | about $41 | about $9,700 |
| Fayetteville | Fayetteville PWC | $8.87 | about $31 | about $7,400 |
Usage charges for one apartment using 3,460 gallons a month. Fixed meter charges come on top and vary by meter size; in Fayetteville they are a large share of the bill. Published rates in effect October 2026; OWASA, Durham, Raleigh sewer and Greensboro are estimated from the latest published rates plus approved increases. Your building's bill will differ. Sources below.
| Topic | What the rule says | How AQUEES applies it |
|---|---|---|
| Who may bill | G.S. 62-110(g) lets owners of rental housing, condominium associations and townhome associations in planned communities charge residents for water and sewer. The Utilities Commission's Rule R18 covers owners of 15 or more rental homes in an apartment complex or manufactured home park. | We confirm with you which rules apply to your property before billing starts. |
| Certificate of authority | Under Rule R18-3, an owner of 15 or more rental homes needs a certificate from the Utilities Commission for each property before charging for water. No bond is required. If the Commission doesn't act within 30 days of a complete application, it is deemed approved. When the property is sold, the seller and buyer file Form WR2 to transfer it. | We supply the rates, sample bill and meter plan for your application. The certificate is in the owner's name. |
| Metered use only | Apart from the administrative fee, every charge must be based on the unit's metered use (G.S. 62-110(g); Rule R18-6). Formulas that split the master bill are not allowed, apart from a narrow, Commission-approved exception for some buildings built before 1989 (Rule R18-8). | Every unit gets its own meter, read every month. |
| Price limit | The usage rate charged to residents must equal the supplier's usage rate, with no markup (Rule R18-6(a)). Rate changes can be passed through on 14 days' notice (Rule R18-6(b)). | Unit bills use your utility's published rate, and we update them when the utility changes its rates. |
| Administrative fee | A Commission-approved fee of up to $3.75 a month may be added for meter reading, billing and collection (Rule R18-6(a)). | The fee is set in your application and shown as its own line on each bill. |
| Bills and collection | Bills go out at least monthly, with a due date at least 25 days after the billing date and a toll-free number for questions. No late, connection or disconnection fees, and no water shutoff for nonpayment. Excess use from a leak the resident didn't know about, or had reported, can't be billed (Rule R18-7). | Our bill format is built to Rule R18-7, and leak alerts at every monthly read help you fix leaks quickly. |
| Resident disclosures and records | At lease signing, residents get the rates, the rules, a copy of Chapter 18 and the Public Staff's contact details (Rule R18-7(g)). Billing records stay available at an on-site or North Carolina office (Rule R18-5). | We prepare the disclosure packet for your leases and the monthly billing records for your office. |
| Installation | Meter installation is plumbing work, normally done under a local plumbing permit. Residents are told how meters are read, and meter testing follows the Commission's Rules R7-28 to R7-33 (Rule R18-7(h)). | Your preferred plumber pulls the permit and installs the meters we specify. |
General information, not legal advice. Checked October 16, 2026. Local utilities and towns can add their own requirements; we review them with you before billing starts.
Send recent water bills, plans and the unit count. No site visit needed. We show what each unit would be billed and what the building would recover.
We coordinate with your preferred plumber, who reviews the plan and installs the meters, under the permit. AQUEES does not send its own crew.
We read every unit each month and prepare unit water bills at the utility's rate plus the approved monthly fee.
Leak and high-use alerts, monthly reports, and records residents can review.
AQUEES is new to North Carolina. Because we coordinate with your preferred plumber, who installs the meters, we can support a building anywhere in the state from the first month, backed by 100+ properties and 1,000+ units across the Mid-Atlantic region since 2010.
Yes. G.S. 62-110(g) and the Utilities Commission's Rule R18 let owners bill residents for water and sewer from each unit's own meter, at the supplier's usage rate plus an administrative fee of up to $3.75 a month. Owners of 15 or more rental homes need a certificate from the Commission for each property before billing.
If you own 15 or more rental homes in an apartment complex or manufactured home park, yes. Rule R18-3 requires a certificate of authority for each property before you charge for water. No bond is required, and a complete application is deemed approved if the Commission doesn't act within 30 days. When you sell, you and the buyer file Form WR2 to transfer it.
No. Residents pay the supplier's usage rate for their metered use, plus the approved administrative fee of up to $3.75 a month. Late, connection and disconnection fees are not allowed, and water can't be shut off for nonpayment.
Yes. G.S. 62-110(g) also covers condominium unit owners' associations and owners' associations for townhomes in planned communities. Charges must be based on each unit's metered use, at no more than the supplier's usage rate. We review your declaration with you before billing starts.
We coordinate with your preferred plumber, who installs the meters we specify, under a plumbing permit. AQUEES supplies the plan, reads every unit monthly and prepares the bills, so we serve buildings anywhere in North Carolina.
We give a fixed quote after reviewing your water bills, plans and unit count, and we show the expected recovery for your building from its own bills.
Send us a recent water bill and your unit count. We reply within one business day.
Or call 202-681-3558
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