ater & Sewerage

Most households in Scotland are provided with water from the public supply by Scottish Water.

If your home is connected to the public water supply and you don't have a water meter, you'll pay for your water with your council tax. When you receive your council tax bill for the year, it will state the additional amount that is being charged for water, depending on which council tax band your home is in. This amount is collected by your local authority and passed on to Scottish Water.

If your home is connected to the public sewerage system you will also pay for sewerage as an additional amount with your council tax. Scottish Water provides public sewerage services to domestic households in Scotland unless there's a private septic tank or you're a mobile home resident.

When you receive your council tax bill for the year, it will state the additional amount that is being charged for water and sewerage, depending on which council tax band your home is in. This amount is collected by Fife Council and passed on to Scottish Water.

If you're told that you owe arrears of water and/or sewerage as part of your council tax, you should check first if the bill is correct and if you're entitled to any help with paying for water and sewerage.

If you get Council Tax Reduction (CTR), you should also get a reduction of up to 25% on the public water and sewerage charges on your council tax bill, unless you're getting another discount.

A property connected to the water supply may have people living in it who are exempt from paying the council tax, for example, a student or someone who is severely mentally impaired. The property is exempt from paying council tax and water and sewerage charges only if everyone in the property is exempt from paying council tax.

You can read a leaflet on council tax benefits and water and sewerage services:

Council tax benefits and water and sewerage charges.pdf

If you have difficulty in paying any ongoing bills or want to discuss any debt issues call our Money Advice helpline on 0345 140 0094, or Text Service for the Deaf Community 0787 2677 904, Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 4 pm.