Do you currently receive a Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Exemption on your home? If you answered yes, you may also qualify for a discount on your sewer bill if you are a Pierce County sewer rate payer.

State law authorizes counties to provide assistance to low-income seniors and the disabled, so Pierce County looked for ways to establish such a discount. County Council passed Ordinance 2013-68s, a measure creating exemptions in monthly Pierce County sewer charges for low-income seniors and disabled individuals.

Program Basics

To receive the reduced rate, you must be a qualified customer with an active Property Tax Exemption filed with “Senior/Disabled and Permanent Disability” exemption code at the Assessor-Treasurer’s Department. If your property is currently coded in this way, you may be eligible. Visit the Assessor-Treasurer Property Tax Exemptions & Deferrals website to learn more. 

Some additional rules apply:

• You must receive your sewer bill from Pierce County.
• The Reduced Rate is for the primary residence only (single-family or duplex dwelling unit).
• Commercial accounts do not qualify for a reduced rate.
• The reduced rate is a flat percentage amount of 20% applied to the basic sewer service charge.
• The customer is responsible for reporting any change that may affect qualifying for the reduced rate such as:
  • Change of residence;
  • Death of qualifying spouse;
  • Primary residence is occupied by tenant;
  • Sale of property; and/or
  • Transfer of ownership of the property.