Greenville Water & ReWa Tap and Capacity Fees (2026)
A new house in Greenville, SC deals with three utilities. Greenville Water supplies the water. The City of Greenville charges a sewer tap fee inside the city limits. Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) treats the wastewater. For a single-family home in the city with a 5/8-inch meter on a 3/4-inch tap, the one-time charges come to a $2,780 Greenville Water capacity fee + $900 connection fee + $1,000 contribution fee + the City’s $363 residential sewer tap fee + ReWa’s new account fee. That last fee rose from $4,110 to $5,500 on October 1, 2026. So the total is $9,153 before that date and $10,543 after it (Greenville Water 2026 Development Fees; ReWa New Account Fees). Which ReWa schedule applies is the biggest variable. Its fee goes up again, to $6,947, on October 1, 2027. For how this compares nationally, see our guide to the cost to connect to city water.
Greenville tap and connection charges at a glance
Greenville Water’s 2026 table, effective January 1, 2026, has four parts. The capacity fee buys system capacity, and for homes on a 5/8-inch meter it depends on unit size. A typical house is “Type E,” at $2,780. The connection fee ($900 for a 3/4-inch tap) pays Greenville Water to tap or tee into the main, and the utility decides which one you get. The contribution fee ($1,000) helps pay for extending water mains and applies in every district. The meter fee ($350) is waived for new accounts inside city limits. On the sewer side, ReWa’s new account fee depends on water meter size, and the City adds a flat residential tap fee. The table also lists rows a typical in-city house does not pay, such as the MetroConnects fee and 1-inch meter amounts.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewer — Capacity | ||||||||
| Sewer | Capacity | Trunk and Treatment New Account Fee (NAF), residential Through Sep 30, 2026 | 5/8" | $4,110 | by meter size | 2024-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer | Capacity | Trunk and Treatment New Account Fee (NAF), residential Effective Oct 1, 2026 | 5/8" | $5,500 | by meter size | 2026-10-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer | Capacity | Trunk and Treatment New Account Fee (NAF), residential Effective Oct 1, 2027 | 5/8" | $6,947 | by meter size | 2027-10-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer — Connection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Connection | MetroConnects Connection Fee | 5/8" | $1,500 | by meter size | 2024-04-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer | Connection | Retail Collection New Account Fee, residential | 5/8" | $900 | by meter size | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer | Connection | Retail Collection New Account Fee, residential | 5/8" | $450 | by meter size | 2026-10-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer — Tap | ||||||||
| Sewer | Tap | Sewer tap residential | — | $363 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Capacity | ||||||||
| Water | Capacity | Capacity Fee | 1" | $9,267 | by meter size | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water | Capacity | Capacity Fee (GW Unit Type E) | 5/8" | $2,780 | per unit | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Inspection | ||||||||
| Water | Inspection | Service Inspection Fee | — | $275 | flat fee | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Meter | ||||||||
| Water | Meter | Meter Fee (5/8-inch) | 5/8" | $350 | by meter size | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Other | ||||||||
| Water | Other | Contribution Fee (Contribution in Aid of Construction) | 5/8" | $1,000 | by meter size | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Service Line | ||||||||
| Water | Service Line | 5/8" Meter Service Installation Fee (includes meter set fee) | 5/8" | $1,500 | by meter size | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Tap | ||||||||
| Water | Tap | Connection Fee (Tap or Tee), 1-inch tap | 5/8" | $910 | by meter size | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water | Tap | Connection Fee (Tap or Tee), 3/4-inch tap | 5/8" | $900 | by meter size | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
What a new Greenville house pays: worked example
Assumptions: one detached house of ordinary size (Greenville Water Type E), a 5/8-inch meter on a 3/4-inch tap, no irrigation meter, and no ReWa retail lines. The three city columns differ only in which ReWa fee schedule applies. The last column is a lot outside the city on MetroConnects sewer lines, with Greenville Water service.
One-time utility charges for one house (sources: Greenville Water; ReWa; City of Greenville Code, Appendix A; MetroConnects fee schedule).
| Charge | A. City, ReWa fee through Sep 30, 2026 | B. City, Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 | C. City, from Oct 1, 2027 | D. MetroConnects area, Oct 2026 rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville Water capacity fee (Type E) | $2,780 | $2,780 | $2,780* | $2,780 |
| Connection fee, 3/4-inch tap | $900 | $900 | $900* | $900 |
| Contribution fee | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000* | $1,000 |
| Meter fee, 5/8-inch | waived | waived | waived | $350 |
| ReWa new account fee | $4,110 | $5,500 | $6,947 | $5,500 |
| Local sewer fee | $363 City tap | $363 City tap | $363 City tap | $1,500 MetroConnects |
| Total of published amounts | $9,153 | $10,543 | $11,990 | $12,030 |
* Greenville Water amounts in effect for 2026. The utility has said it expects to update its fees in future years.
The arithmetic: water inside the city is $2,780 + $900 + $1,000 = $4,680. A is $4,680 + $363 + $4,110 = $9,153. B is $4,680 + $363 + $5,500 = $10,543. C is $4,680 + $363 + $6,947 = $11,990. D adds the $350 meter fee, so water comes to $5,030. Add $1,500 for MetroConnects and $5,500 for ReWa and D totals $12,030. That figure leaves out the Greenville County permit, since we have no county amount on file. A lot where ReWa itself owns the collection lines would pay ReWa’s retail fee, $900 now or $450 from October 1, 2026, instead of a City or MetroConnects fee.
A 1-inch meter costs much more. Greenville Water’s minimum capacity fee for that size is $9,267, the 1-inch tap is $910 and the contribution fee stays at $1,000. ReWa’s residential 1-inch fee is $11,000 from October 1, 2026. With the $363 City tap, that comes to $22,540, more than double case B.
Greenville vs. Charleston and Fort Mill
At Charleston Water System, a new home with a 3/4-inch meter pays $12,060 in 2026. That is the sum of the water and sewer impact fees, the tap fees and the account fees. Greenville’s in-city total after October 1, 2026 is $10,543, about $1,500 less. In Fort Mill, a Town customer with a 3/4-inch tap pays $5,470 in capacity and activation fees before meter work, which the Town bills at cost plus 10%. Greenville’s ReWa fee alone, $5,500 from October 1, is bigger than that. None of these totals includes the private water line or sewer lateral, which the owner pays for in all three places.
What is not included in Greenville fees
The City code puts the cost of installing or repairing the connection to the sewer line and the service lateral on the property owner (City of Greenville Code, Sec. 44-124). You also pay for the water line on the house side of the meter. Budget for this private work separately:
- Water service line, meter to house: $30 to $150 per foot, about $50 typical, trenching included (national estimate).
- Sewer lateral, 4 to 6 inch PVC: $50 to $250 per foot, about $100 typical, trenching included (national estimate).
- Plumbing permit: $100 to $1,300, about $300 typical (national estimate). In the City of Greenville, the $363 sewer tap charge is listed among the plumbing permit fees, and fixtures are $4.95 each on top of that.
Take a lot with a 50-foot water line and a 50-foot lateral. At typical rates that is 50 × $50 = $2,500 plus 50 × $100 = $5,000, or $7,500 in private work, with trenching already included. Figures from our national benchmark set.
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
How and when Greenville fees are paid
- Find out which sewer provider serves your lot. Inside the city limits, the City of Greenville charges the tap fee. Sec. 44-100 of the City code applies it to all new construction that needs a new sewer tap. MetroConnects runs sewer collection lines in parts of Greenville County. For an individual connection there, you pay ReWa’s new account fee, get a permit from Greenville County, and MetroConnects collects its own $1,500 fee when you apply for its permit to connect (MetroConnects sewer permits).
- ReWa comes first on development projects. Since October 1, 2025, a partnering municipality or subdistrict will not schedule a pre-construction meeting until it sees an approved ReWa permit, an exemption letter or a receipt for the prepaid new account fee.
- Greenville Water sizes the service. It decides whether you get a tap or a tee and what size and type of meter to install. Capacity fees are not refunded once a meter is in service. Each extra inspection trip for work that fails its specifications costs $275.
What could change in Greenville
ReWa, October 1, 2026: the residential 5/8- and 3/4-inch fee rose from $4,110 to $5,500, and the 1-inch fee from $8,220 to $11,000. The retail collection fee was cut in half, to $450. ReWa, October 1, 2027: the residential fee rises to $6,947, and the retail fee ends.
Greenville Water: its 2026 capacity fees replaced amounts that had been in place since January 1, 2024. The 5/8-inch fee went from $2,100 to $2,780. The utility’s 2026 fee presentation says to expect more fee updates in future years (Greenville Water Updated Development Fees and Charges).
City sewer tap fee: the $363 figure sits in a fee table whose most recent cited changes are from 2014. It is still in the current code, but confirm the amount with the City of Greenville before you close.
Greenville connection fee questions
How much are water and sewer tap fees for a new home in Greenville, SC?
Inside the city, with a 5/8-inch meter, the published charges total $9,153 under ReWa’s earlier fee (through September 30, 2026) and $10,543 from October 1, 2026. That total is $4,680 to Greenville Water, $363 to the City and $4,110 or $5,500 to ReWa.
What is ReWa’s new account fee?
It is ReWa’s one-time charge for sewer trunk and treatment capacity, set by the size of the water meter. For a 5/8- or 3/4-inch residential meter it is $4,110 now, $5,500 from October 1, 2026 and $6,947 from October 1, 2027.
Do I pay Greenville Water’s meter fee inside the city?
No. Greenville Water waives the $350 meter fee for new accounts inside the City of Greenville, except for irrigation meters. Outside the city limits the fee applies.
Is MetroConnects or the City of Greenville my sewer provider?
Inside the city limits, the City charges a $363 residential sewer tap fee. MetroConnects runs sewer collection lines in parts of Greenville County and charges $1,500 per single-family connection. Either way you also pay ReWa’s new account fee.
Who pays for the sewer lateral in Greenville?
The property owner. The City code puts the cost of installing the connection and the service lateral on the owner. At a national estimate of about $100 per foot installed, trenching included, a 50-foot lateral runs about $5,000.
Is Greenville cheaper than Charleston for a new home?
A bit. The in-city total of $10,543 after October 1, 2026 compares with $12,060 at Charleston Water System in 2026 for a 3/4-inch meter. Both are scheduled to rise: Charleston’s impact fees on January 1, 2027 and ReWa’s fee on October 1, 2027.
Where to go next from Greenville
Farther down I-85, Atlanta Watershed Management meter and sewer fees are a lower-cost comparison.
Compare Greenville with Charleston, Fort Mill and Charlotte, or see the national tap fees by city table. Related guides: tap fee vs. impact fee, sewer tap fee, sewer lateral cost and the utility connection cost calculator.
Official documents behind the Greenville figures
- 2026 Development Fees, effective January 1, 2026, Greenville Water. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Updated Development Fees and Charges, effective January 1, 2026 (presentation), Greenville Water. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Water Rates (meter fee waiver inside the city), Greenville Water. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- New Account Fees (trunk and treatment and retail charts: current, Oct 1, 2026, Oct 1, 2027), Renewable Water Resources. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- New Account Fees beginning July 1, 2024, Renewable Water Resources. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Fee Schedule (plumbing permits, wastewater fees) and Chapter 44, Utilities (Secs. 44-100, 44-124), City of Greenville. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Sanitary Sewer Standards and Procedures, Appendix J, Fee Schedule, new connection fee schedule notice (Mar 13, 2024) and Apply for a Sewer Permit, MetroConnects. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Tap & Impact Fees, Charleston Water System, and Fee Schedule FY 2025-26, Town of Fort Mill (comparison figures).
- National cost estimates: Utility Cost Guide benchmark methodology.