How Is the Wastewater Charge Figured?
Part of your monthly utility bill is a wastewater charge. It covers carrying away everything that goes down your drains, toilets and showers, along with upkeep of the sanitary sewer system.
For homes, the charge has two parts: a fixed base fee tied to the size of your water meter, and a usage charge for every 1,000 gallons. Your water meter tracks all the water you use each month, but the sewer line leaving your house has no meter of its own. To estimate how much of your water actually goes into the sewer, the city looks at your usage during the winter, when lawns are rarely watered and nearly all household water is used indoors. That figure, called your winter month average (WMA), sets your residential wastewater volume for the coming year.
How Is the Winter Month Average Determined?
The city reviews your water use for November, December, January and February. Your highest month of the four is thrown out, and the other three lower months are averaged to produce your WMA.
Until a new residential account has a WMA on record, wastewater is billed on 80% of that month's water use, with a cap of 12,000 gallons.
Note: an account qualifies for a WMA only if it used at least 1,000 gallons of water in each of at least three months.
What Is My Wastewater Base Fee?
Your meter size sets the monthly wastewater base fee. Most homes have a 5/8-inch meter, and you can check yours by reading the size stamped on the meter face.
Monthly Wastewater Base Fees
| Meter size | Monthly base fee |
|---|---|
| 5/8 inch | $14.00 |
| 1 inch | $15.50 |
| 1 1/2 inch | $19.00 |
| 2 inch | $24.50 |
| 3 inch | $36.00 |
| 4 inch | $48.00 |
| 6 inch | $75.00 |
| 8 inch | $105.00 |
| 10 inch | $135.00 |
| 12 inch | $150.00 |
Unit Charges
| Charge | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Unit charge | $3.60 |
| Multi-family unit charge | $4.25 |
How Can I Lower My Wastewater Charge?
Your WMA caps the wastewater volume billed to your home for the following 12 months. Using less water from November through February therefore lowers your wastewater charge all year long. New averages take effect each April. For more ways to keep your bill in check, read the High Water Bill FAQ.
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