Winter Averaging for Sewer Rates
Most cities base sewer rates on an average of wintertime water usage. The reason for using a "wintertime average" is that for most people, the water you use in the winter all goes down the drain into the sewer system. Most people don't water their yards during winter months, so this method reasonably assures that you are only charged for what goes down the drain and has to be treated or "reclaimed" before going back into the Walnut River.
Our billing department uses an average of December, January and February's water usage to calculate your sewer rates for the rest of the year. So, if you are conservative in your water usage during these months, it can reduce your sewer charges for the rest of the year. Here's an example of how it's calculated:
860 cubic feet in December
780 cubic feet in January
+ 800 cubic feet in February
= 813 cubic feet Average
The sewer rate is $2.60/100 cu. ft. plus a $12.61 Readiness to Serve Charge. To figure your sewer charge, multiply your average, 813, by .026. This equals $21.14, add the $12.61 readiness to serve fee and your sewer charge would be $33.75. This would be the charge you see on your bill the rest of the year. First time customers are assigned an average of 750 cubic feet based on the City's overall average, customers may apply for a change to this average after establishing a full three month's usage with which we may use to base the new average.
Conserving Water is Easy
- Leaks - check faucets and toilets for leaks. A leaky faucet or toilet tank valve can use hundreds of gallons of water each day.
- Low flush toilets - installing a low flush toilet would reduce your volume of water usage from approximately 3.5 gallons per flush to 1.6 gallons or less.
- Water saving devices - an average three-member household can reduce its water use by 54,000 gallons annually if they install water-efficient plumbing fixtures.
- Low flow showerheads - showers account for about 20% of total indoor water use. By replacing a standard 4.5 gallon per minute showerhead with a 2.5 gallon per minute head, a family of four can save approximately 20,000 gallons of water per year.