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Frequently Asked Questions


Customer Service Questions

  1. Where can I pay my water bill, and what are my payment options? 
    Click here for 'Ways to Pay'
    GCWW offers various payment options, including "Set it & Forget It” with AutoPay using a bank account or credit/debit card. 
  2. How are water charges calculated?
    Water charges include two parts: charges for water used (usage) and charges for service availability (base charge). The base charge is a fixed amount for being connected to the public water system. This fixed amount includes, but is not limited to, operations and maintenance costs for processing, treatment, storage, and delivery of water, emergency service, customer care assistance, and billing services. Usage charges are based on the volume of water used.

    The amount a customer is billed is determined through established rates.
  3. Has my bill been mailed out yet, and when is it due?
    Bills are usually mailed out within five days of your meter reading, and are due 21 days after the bill is produced.

    You can check your balance or pay your bill via our automated self-service phone system by calling GCWW Customer Service at 513-591-7700 and selecting option 3 for account and billing information.

    GCWW has made it easy to manage your account online. Please visit the myGCWW Customer Care Portal to:
    Choose how to receive and pay your bill
    View & export your water usage
    View & save your bills
    Access expanded paperless billing
    Choose from more AutoPay options
    Use enhanced account management features
  4. When is my next meter reading date?
    GCWW customers are billed monthly, and finding your next meter reading date is easy; simply enroll and log in to myGCWW Customer Care Portal today!
  5. How are sewer charges calculated when I am watering my lawn or filling my pool?
    If you live in Hamilton County, the Metropolitan Sewer District bills sewage on one- and two-family residential homes according to how much water they use in their winter billing period (the billing periods that end with meter readings in January, February, and March). For the rest of that year, if you use more water than what you used in these winter months, you will only be billed sewage up to the average amount that was used during these months. See the City of Mason's website.
  6. How do I report an "outside" water main leak or break?
    To view all current leaks and breaks, visit https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/water/leaks-and-breaks/
    To report a new leak or break, visit https://cagis.hamilton-co.org/311// or call 513-591-7700, 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. Be sure to give the exact street address with the nearest cross street. GCWW will investigate all reported leaks and breaks. The property owner is responsible for their service line and plumbing on private property. The owner is also responsible for protecting the meter from damage caused by freezing or other hazards.

Water Quality Questions

  1. How often is my water tested?
    GCWW's priority is safe drinking water. To ensure this, an average of 600 tests are performed each day throughout the system.
    • Source waters are tested routinely to detect contaminants before they enter treatment plants.
    • Water quality experts test the water after each stage of the treatment process.
    • Water Samples are collected in the distribution system to monitor the quality of water once it has left the treatment plant.
    • Monitors are located throughout our treatment plants and in the distribution system to continuously monitor the water quality.
  2. What do the results of the water quality tests really mean for my family?
    The bottom line is that our water meets or exceeds every health standard developed by the USEPA to ensure the safety of drinking water. Customers may also visit the USEPA online for additional information on understanding their drinking water.
  3. How hard is GCWW water?
    First, let us explain "hard water." Calcium and magnesium salts are the minerals in water that are responsible for its hardness. Groundwater tends to contain more of these minerals than surface water because they are present in the rocks and aquifers. Miller Plant water has an average hardness of 137 milligrams per liter or 8 grains per gallon. Bolton Plant water has an average hardness of 147 milligrams per liter or 9 grains per gallon. Hardness does not affect the safety of water.
  4. Why is fluoride added to the water?
    Fluoride is added to water to protect teeth, as required by state law, passed in 1969. According to the American Dental Association, people who drink fluoridated water have a 20% to 40% reduction in the number of cavities that would have occurred without fluoride. Some home filtration devices remove fluoride, and bottled water may not contain it.
  5. Sometimes my water is reddish-brown. Is this safe?
    The reddish-brown color can be caused by rust from corrosion in GCWW's pipes, the pipes in your home, or from corrosion in your home's water heater.  This is not a health concern; the water meets all health-based regulations. If you have questions, or your laundry is stained from rusty water, call GCWW at 513-591-7700. We will deliver a laundry aid to remove the rust.  Do NOT put stained laundry in the dryer.  If you have rusty water, try running cold water slowly for several minutes.
  6. Why does drinking water sometimes look cloudy?
    Cloudy water, which clears quickly from the bottom up, is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water, similar to gas bubbles in soda. After a while, the bubbles rise to the top and disappear. This cloudiness occurs more often in the winter when drinking water is cold. Air does not affect the safety of water. If you have questions, call 513-591-7700.
  7. Why is water treatment so necessary?
    The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
    • microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife
    • inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming
    • pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses
    • organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems
    • radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

For all these reasons, we treat the water using state-of-the-art technology and test it frequently to ensure the best quality for our customers.