Star Sewer and Water FAQs
General FAQs
| Water Monthly Fee | $25.60 |
| Sewer Monthly Fee | $54.25 |
| Billing Directive Fee | $20.00 |
| Returned Check Fee | $17.50 |
| Reconnect Fee (During Office Hours) | $25.00 |
| Reconnect Fee (After Hours) | $75.00 |
| Meter Tampering Fee | $1000.00 |
| ¾” Meter | $675.00 |
| 1″ Meter | $1222.00 |
| 1½” Meter | $1440.00 |
| 2″ Compound Meter | $5960.00 |
| Broken Meter Charges: | |
| LIDS and Rings | $150.00 |
| MXU Whips | $ 15.00 |
| MXU | $300.00 |
| Register | $ 100.00 |
| Meter Base | $ 10.00 |
| Permit Application Fee – Residential | $5450.00 |
| Permit Application Fee – Commercial | Requires Plan Review |
| Permit Transfer Fee | $500.00 |
| WATER | |||
| Tier | Description | ||
| Tier 1/Base Rate | $25.60 per month includes first 10,000 gallons per month | ||
| Tier 2 | $2.00 per 1000 gallons between 10,001 and 14,999 gallons per month | ||
| Tier 3 | $5.00 per 1,000 gallons for 15,000 gallons+ per month | ||
| SEWER | |||
| Tier | Description | ||
| Tier 1/Base Rate | $54.25 per month includes first 10,000 gallons of metered water per month | ||
| Tier 2 | $2.00 per 1000 gallons between 10,001 and 14,999 gallons of metered water per month | ||
| Tier 3 | $5.00 per 1,000 gallons for 15,000 gallons+ of metered water per month |
Star residents can drop off unused medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter, and pet medications.
Location
City Hall 10769 W. State Street (2nd Floor Elevator Access)
Hours
Monday – Friday 8:00-5:00 (excluding holidays) Syringes and Liquids will not be accepted
Payment options include the following choices:
Mail in your payment
Mail your payment to P.O. Box 400 Star, ID 83669. Please remember to include the bill stub or account number and allow time for the Post Office to deliver your payment.
Pay Online
Pay online at www.xpressbillpay.com. You will need your account number and name as it appears on the bill for the registration process. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card or a checking account. You can also schedule automatic payments through this website. This service is available 24/7 and there are no additional fees for this service.
Phone Payments
Call our District office at 208-286-7388. We are open Monday through Friday (excluding major holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover Card. You can also call 1-866-392-0994 (24/7 Automated Payment System, Toll Free and Free of Charge)
Pay in person
You may pay with cash, money orders, and checks. We can also process Visa, Mastercard, and Discover Card payments. Star Sewer and Water District Office located at 10831 W State Street, Star, ID 83669.
Drop Box
After hour payments can be made in our drive up style drop box located in front of our building. We encourage customers to submit check or money order payments in this box. Cash is discouraged but will be processed. Please be sure to include your payment stub, address or account number with your payment.
Payment Arrangements
Please contact our office at 208-286-7388 if you need to make payment arrangements for past due accounts.
A prerequisite to getting sewer and water service is that the property must be annexed into the Star Sewer and Water District’s boundaries. An annexation application can be found under the Forms section. It is a good idea to visit the Star Sewer and Water District’s office to look at the sewer line maps before requesting annexation. Petitioners are responsible for all fees associated with the annexation process.
New Home Owners:
New services are established with the assistance of your Title Company. Typically, seven to ten days after closing, we receive the Warranty Deed and any funds that were collected. At this point, we create a new account. Services are not disrupted except for non-payment. We suggest calling our office at 286-7388 to ensure we have received the appropriate documentation from the Title Company.
Renters:
The property owner or an authorized Property Management Company representative can direct the Star Sewer & Water District to place a renters name on an account by completing a Star Sewer & Water District Service Billing Directive. The Star Sewer & Water District Service Billing Directive can be located under the Forms section of the website. The property owner is still ultimately responsible for payment of the bill. However, both the tenant and the property owner/property management company will receive monthly bills and delinquency notices.
It is Star Sewer & Water District’s policy that all properties be listed and billed to the legal property owner or designated Property Management Company. However, as an additional service for our owner/tenant customers, the District can send a duplicate bill to the tenant at the property address. This allows the property owner to monitor all activities on their account.
Renters:
The property owner or an authorized Property Management Company representative can direct the Star Sewer & Water District to place a renters name on an account by completing a Star Sewer & Water District Service Billing Directive. The Star Sewer & Water District Service Billing Directive can be located under the Forms section of the website. The property owner is still ultimately responsible for payment of the bill. However, both the tenant and the property owner/property management company will receive monthly bills and delinquency notices.
Star Sewer & Water District does not provide garbage or trash pick-up. Please call the Republic Services office at 208-345-1265 or visit https://www.republicservices.com/
Bills are mailed out on the last business day of the month.
Payments are due on the 10th day of the following month. If the 10th day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is due the following business day.
Account balances that are over 30 days delinquent will be assessed a finance charge of $1.00 or 10% whichever is higher.
Star Sewer & Water District disconnects water for non-payment once per month. The Billing Department mails three (3) statements before disconnection of service with a shut-off date listed on the second and third notice. It is extremely important that you note the final date for payment on the Shut-Off Notice as no further notices will be given. If payment or a payment arrangement is not received by the shut-off date listed on the Shut-Off Notice, services will be disconnected. Services will not be reconnected until the entire balance and the reconnect fee has been paid in full.
Payments CANNOT be accepted in the field by the water service person.
If your water services have been disconnected for non-payment, DO NOT cut the padlock and reactivate your services. This is considered an ILLEGAL TURN-ON. Tampering with the District’s system will result in a $1000.00 fine.
Unlike other utilities, Sewer and Water charges are associated with the property rather than with the occupant who incurs the charges. Although a Final Bill is generated for the previous owner, if left unpaid, the new property owner inherits this responsibility.
Many customers pay on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. The billing statement will reflect a credit balance with a “CR” next to the amount shown on the bill.
No, the Star Sewer and Water District does not have a residential vacancy policy.
Water FAQs
Discolored water is caused by naturally occurring iron and manganese in the ground water combining with the small amount of Sodium Hypochlorite (chlorine) we inject for disinfection. This chlorine “rusts” the iron and manganese molecules causing them to discolor and settle on the bottom of distribution pipes. Occasionally during high use situations such as flushing or construction, these particles will become suspended in the water and subsequently cause discoloration. (The water is safe to drink as these are merely iron and manganese minerals that are always present in the water.) If you detect red or discolored water, turn on a single COLD water tap to flush any sediment out of your pipes. While red or discolored water is not a health concern, it can stain laundry.
You probably are not too eager to drink water that smells like rotten eggs. However, the odor does not affect the sanitary quality of your water, and is safe for drinking, cooking and bathing.
Hydrogen sulfide gas is the cause of the foul odor. Sulfate, a form of sulfur, is a mineral that naturally occurs in soil and rock formations throughout Idaho. Because of this, hydrogen sulfide is present naturally in the groundwater that supplies water to our artesian wells. The water supply for Star comes from wells that are drilled in basalt which often contain sulfates. The sulfates are often converted to hydrogen sulfide in hot water heaters or other places where water may sit before it is used. This conversion is done by a harmless bacteria referred to as “sulfur reducing” bacteria and the side effect is the rotten egg smell. Even though the Star Sewer and Water District uses chlorine for disinfection, the rotten egg odor can occur in low use areas where the chlorine has dissipated.
The answer is yes. Testing results from our new water well site continue to come back positive for the quality of water and negative for traces of Sulphur and iron. We are confident the new location, which drills into a separate aquifer than our previous source, will continue to produce better quality drinking water for our customers.
A new source of drinking water was included in the 2017 scope of work for upgrading our drinking water system. As part of that project, the District identified a location for a new well and for months and embarked on rigorous testing and monitoring of the water quality and capacity. Based on positive testing and subsequent permitting from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the District in late 2019 launched a $5 million water project that included new wells, piping, a pump station and a new 750,000-gallon reservoir – all on the north side of the city. This project was completed in 2021 and is providing our customers with better quality drinking water, fire service and positions the District for future growth and demand.
Wastewater FAQs
We vigorously tried to push back against the EPA and the new pollution standards and regulations, with little success. In addition, there is no reason to believe the government’s stance on these water pollution regulations will change any time soon. Ultimately, the decision was made to proceed with the $30 million upgrade project, bring the facility into compliance and discharge fewer pollutants into our local and regional waters. We also believe customers embrace our mission and commitment to operating in a fashion that protects the environment and keeps it healthy for future generations of Star residents.
When we broke ground on the upgrade and modernization project, the cost estimate came in at $30 million. Here is a breakdown of each component and estimated price tag: Design and Construction Engineering $5.34 million; Construction Cost = $17.6 million; Contingency Allowances = $6.61 million, or 30% of the budget Projected Total Cost. $29.5 New water well/reservoir = $4-5 million.
The simple truth is we have no choice but to upgrade and modernize our treatment plant to comply with tougher standards imposed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Like many communities across Idaho, the EPA is requiring reductions in the levels of phosphorus and ammonia in our treated wastewater product. The fact is, the current system and technology are unable meet the more stringent standards spelled out in our federal operating permit. To meet these new standards, we will be pulling out of service our aging and obsolete lagoon system and upgrading with new infrastructure and technology designed to produce a cleaner product and better handle an increase in capacity. This project also provides an important benefit for our customers and community going forward. The upgrades will put our treatment facility in position to better manage growth here in Star. The facility, which before this project started had been serving about 3,500 customers, was operating near capacity. Projections show Star is poised to grow at 5% percent per year, which could triple our customer base by 2033.
Fats, Oils and Grease can damage your home and the environment. You can help prevent sewer overflows and backups in several ways. So, what can you do to help? Avoid pouring grease down sink drains or toilets. Instead, scrape grease and food scraps into a can or the trash for disposal or recycle (if available). Try putting drain baskets and strainers in sinks to catch food scraps and other solids. Empty these into the trash. Talk to friends and neighbors about how to keep these problem materials out of the sewers. Grease is a byproduct of cooking foods such as meat fats, lard, oils, shortening, butter, baked goods and dairy products. When these items are washed down the sink drain, grease sticks to the inside of the sewer pipes (both in your home and in the city sewer lines). Over time, it can build up and block entire pipes. This can cause raw sewage backing up into your home or your neighbor’s house and trigger costly and unpleasant cleanup that often must be paid by home or business owners. Clogged pipes can also cause raw sewage overflows in parks, yards and streets and the potential for contact with disease-causing organisms. For the District, this can also lead to an increase in operation and maintenance costs and the potential for higher sewer bills for all customers.
*Note: Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. Also, hot water and products that claim to dissolve grease only pass it down the line and cause problems in the city sewer systems.
** Caution: FOG (fats, oils and grease) are not just bad for your health, but for sewer systems as well. Sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors and threaten the environment. A common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease. Grease from household drains as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants, laundromats and other businesses.**