Frequently Asked Questions

Any time that we shut down a water main, it is a requirement of The Health Department to issue a precautionary boil water advisory. Once laboratory testing confirms the water is wholesome for consumption the advisory will be rescinded and you may again consume water without boiling it.

During a precautionary boil water advisory, it’s important to take steps to ensure your safety. Here's a quick guide:

• Drinking Water: Boil water for at least one minute before drinking, using for cooking, or brushing your teeth.

• Washing Hands: It’s safe to wash your hands with tap water and soap.

• Washing Dishes: Hand-wash dishes with boiled (or bottled) water. If using a dishwasher, make sure it has a high-temperature setting.

• Bathing/Showering: It’s safe to shower, but avoid swallowing water. Extra caution should be taken when bathing infants or young children.

• Laundry: You can wash clothes as usual; no special precautions are necessary.

• Pools: It’s safe to fill or top off your pool with tap water as long as there is sufficient chlorine or disinfectant in the water.

• Watering Plants/Irrigation: It's safe to use water for outdoor plants and landscaping.

These precautions should be followed until the notice is lifted. Thank you for your understanding.

Our phone number, 239.472.1502, is answered seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. After office hours, you will be connected to our answering service who will contact the on-call technician in the event of an emergency.

To set up alerts you must create an account in our Member Account Portal. A guide on how to set your account up is located under Member Services at the top and select Member Portal & Smart Meters Tutorial.

Our office is located at 3651 Sanibel Captiva Road, and we are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Our holiday schedule varies from year to year and is posted on the holiday schedule page.

We have several options to pay your bill. You can mail a check to PO Box 509, Sanibel, FL 33957 or drop off your payment in person at our office at 3651 Sanibel Captiva Road, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. You can sign up for ACH bank drafting by visiting our our autopay sign up page and your payment will be automatically deducted from your checking account on the due date. You will still receive a water bill but it state that the amount owed is “PAID BY DRAFT.” You may also view and pay your water bill online on our website in our new and improved Member Portal. Just click the “Member Account Portal” button on the top right of the website. To create an account, you will need your IWA account number and your last payment amount. Payments can be made on our website with credit or debit cards.

If you pay with a credit or debit card online, please note a $2.00 flat fee plus a processing fee equal to 5% of the transaction amount will be charged. ACH auto-pay (bank draft) customers do not incur any additional fees.

Your water bill is made up of three components. There is a $1.50 meter reading charge and a $11.50 demand charge per unit (if there are 10 units associated with the meter, the demand charge would be 10 x $11.50) and a charge for actual usage. We charge in thousands of gallons. We do not read the lower numbers on your meter. We do have a tiered structure to encourage conservation. The more you use, the more you will pay per thousand gallons. See our rate schedule by click on the rate schedule PDF.

You may call our office Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, and we will schedule a reading of the meter for your settlement date. We do not turn the water off nor do we charge a transfer fee. We will send the previous owner/tenant a final bill, and the reading taken on the settlement date will begin your water service. You may also fill out a change of ownership form located under Member Services at the top and select Change of Ownership.

Water meters are located within a cement, composite, or plastic box that is flush to the ground, and usually located in the utility easement on your property. Meters are typically located on the front left or right side of your property. If you are unable to locate your meter you may request assistance by calling IWA’s main office at 239.472.1502.

You may prepay your water bill and any credit will be shown by a parenthesis around the dollar amount after the “TOTAL AMOUNT DUE.” You may change the mailing address of your water bill by calling our office, e-mailing us, or fill the change of address form located under Member Services at the top and select Change of Contact Info.

Yes, reading the numbers on the meter is remarkably similar to reading the odometer on your car. It is also possible to check for leaks by looking at your water meter. See our guide on how to read your water meter.

The device behind your water meter is called a backflow prevention device which keeps non-potable and contaminated water from flowing back into our main water lines. These devices are required by the State of Florida, and our owned by the customer. For more information about backflow prevention, please visit our backflow prevention page.

Our finished water is mildly soft and not scale forming. The hardness is 56 parts per million or 3.28 grains per gallon. The pH of the water is 7.6 to 7.7. For more information about IWA’s water quality, please refer to Our Annual Drinking Water Quality Reports, also known as Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) found under the Reports tab on the top and select Consumer Confidence Report.

As a Health Department requirement, we must flush the water lines every 30-90 days on any street where the water main dead ends. This flushing process generally takes 15 to 30 minutes and helps ensure excellent water quality and proper chlorine residuals.