Water Rates

[yogitunes]

Some of you guys talk about paying for water and the high rates you pay......

Exactly what do you pay and how?...is it by the 1000 gal, or a flat rate, is sewer included, and how is that billed?

in South Jersey, I pay 25.00 per quarter for 13,000 gallons, and 1.25 for every 1000 over that.........sewer is a flat 125.00 per quarter........rarely do I go over that amount......

when I lived in Central Jersey, it was a rate per 1000 gallons comming in and going out.......the down fall was watering the lawn or washing the car, you had to pay for sewer even though it was not going down the drain, everything was monitored by the water meter.....

fortunately my house in the country is well water (electric needed to run, so not exactly free), and septic gets pumped once a year, as per the installer, about 250.00 for that service

 

[iheartmaytag]

Our bill is water and sewer only.  We are billed for a fixed rate each month of about $15, then billed per 1,000 gal of water.  The sewer portion exactally mirrors the water usage which has always been argued as when people water during the summer months that water is not going down the sewer. 

 

My bill averages between $23 - $27 per month, as I have a well to irrigate.    We are getting another increase of about $7 on the fixed side as well as a 15cent per 1,000 gal usage that should take effect in July.  They are also talking about adding trash to the bill, but that one has been battled since the Kennedy administration, so don't see it happening anytime too soon.  If it does, it would add another $20 per month to the bill.

 

 

[philcobendixduo]

Water rates in San Jose

Here in San Jose, California (at least where I live) the water meter is read every 2 months and water billed per 100 cubic feet (ccf) which is 768 gallons. I have an Excel spreadsheet of my water use and cost. Here is an excerpt; (sorry about the alignment - looks great in the message box - not great when posted...)

From To Days CCF Gals. Total$ Gal/Day $/Day Cost per gal.
02/12/09 04/15/09 62 8 5984 $52.68 97 $6.59 $0.00880348
04/15/09 06/12/09 58 10 7480 $58.17 129 $5.82 $0.00777674
06/12/09 08/13/09 62 11 8228 $60.79 133 $5.53 $0.00738819
08/13/09 10/15/09 63 11 8228 $61.00 131 $5.55 $0.00741371
10/15/09 12/16/09 62 9 6732 $55.93 109 $6.21 $0.00830808
12/16/09 02/17/10 63 8 5984 $56.05 95 $7.01 $0.00936664
02/17/10 04/16/10 58 8 5984 $55.89 103 $6.99 $0.00933991
04/16/10 06/15/10 60 12 8976 $66.16 150 $5.51 $0.00737077
06/15/10 08/13/10 59 13 9724 $68.74 165 $5.29 $0.00706911
08/13/10 10/12/10 60 13 9724 $68.74 162 $5.29 $0.00706911
10/12/10 12/14/10 63 11 8228 $63.59 131 $5.78 $0.00772849
12/14/10 02/07/11 55 9 6732 $60.48 122 $6.72 $0.00898396
02/07/11 04/13/11 65 8 5984 $58.09 92 $7.26 $0.00970755

 

[nmassman44]

We have two water meters...one for the house that gets the sewer fee tacked on and the other for the outside spigot and irrigation system that we dont get charged the sewer fee. Our water bill for the house runs about $300 every quarter. The city bills us for the 2nd meter in September and thats usually about $100.
You would think that living here in Mass where we have abundant water it would be cheap, its not. Often the sewer rate is higher than the water rate which makes no sense to me and the rates keep going up since they jacked up the rate so high that people are conserving ie front load washers, low flow toilets/showers...that they dont make the revenue that they once did. They dont cut back on costs and since they take in less money than before they jack up the rates to make up for the differnce. Its a vicious cycle.

 

[jerrod6]

I looked at the information from our water revenue department which has the rates as of Jul 2010. Here's what they say you pay if you use 7ccf(5,200) gallons of water a month:

Monthly service charge $10.15(fixed cost based on the size of your water meter),

Monthly storm water charge $13.48(fixed cost based on the size of your house and property),

Water usage $20.90 for 5,200 gallons

Sewer usage $14.91 for 5,200 gallons

Water and sewer usage rates increase as you use more water. My bill for May due June 16 was 59.44 for 7 ccf. In April I used 8 ccf and the bill was 64.55. In the summer months when I water the garden I will use about 11 ccf.

The rates increase each July for the next 2 years. [this post was last edited: 6/10/2011-08:55]

 

[xraytech]

For us, water is essentially free since it is a well, just a minute cost of the electricity to run the pump, and the septic tank is emptied every few years,

Most of the people I know with water service are still in areas without sewage and the water is based on consumption and seems to run between $30-50 a month, and that is a family of 2-3.

I guess there are financial benefits of living in the sticks where the only utilities offered are electric and telephone

 

[autowasherfreak]

I don't know exactly how our water is billed, but the last bill for 3 months was $233. 26.  I called the city today, because I thought that it was a little high, I was asked how many people in the household and I told her 3, and she told me it was an average bill for a household of 3.  She also told me that the rates were increased.  Sewer went up 10%, water 5%, and something else went up 3% for a total 18% increase.

 

 

[appnut]

For me, the minimum fee is $13.95 or $17.90 and that's for the first 2,000 gallons. And for every additional 1,000 gallons, it's $4.25. 

My sewar fee is basic $10.00 for the first 2000 gallons and $4.25 for every additional 1,000.  Now here's the tricky part.  My serwar usage rate for the year is based on my winter waterr average usage, calculated during the months of December, January and February.  And my sewar fee stays the same the entire 12 months.  So, particularly during those 3 months i really watch water to keep it such that the 3 months average 2000 or less gallons per month.  Apparently my winter water average usage also impact my cost per 1000 gallons as opposed to it simply being $4.25 per 1000.  So keeping my usage down also impacts the expense of me watering during the summer months. 

 

And any time my consumption goes over 2000 gallons, I'm also hit with a $.75 drainage fee.

 

Garbage is added on and that's $15.80.  then there is sales tax.

 

for the month of mid April to mid-May I used 12,600 gallons.  All total my bill was $73.77.  during the height of the summer I can use over 20,000 gallonos, probably more.  In all the years I've been here I've only had a $200 water bill once .  But the rates keep going up so I"m sure it will happen.  But I try to conserve where I can

 

When I used the Lady Shredmore it was very difficult to keep my monthly winter average usage under 2000 a month for those 3 months and then add the $2.75 drainage fee.  With extra rinse that was about 65 gallons a load.  It adds up quickly.  My consumption went down almost 1000 gallons a month in the winter when I got the Frigidaire, even with the "enahcnced" water level. 

 

I don't remember how they figured sewar and water rates before this "system", but it was adopted a few years after I moved in.  I remember my typical water bill did go down.  Nowdays when you move into the city and establish a service, they charge you for 6000 month average usage winter usage rate until you hagve the actual test the following December-February.  That's 3x what I'd use and I'd be pissed.

 

And the Shredmore used less water than the water hog GE FF and I always used the extra rinse on that thing.  So Gregg has told me about 75 gallons for a load.  CRAP.

 

 

It is extremely disconcerting when my water bill is igher than my electric bill and that's during warmer months, but not usually August or Sept.  ha ha ha

 

[passatdoc]

Fixed sewer fee: $37/month.

 

Water is billed in ccf. Water use varies by season, but in winter when there is no irrigation of the garden, the use is about 2 ccf/month which costs about $7 extra, so a wet season water bill of about $44/month. It can rise to $60 or a bit more in summer due to irrigation. I have most of the yard on drip system. People with sprinklers and lots of lawn would pay more. The usage rates are tiered so that if you don't conserve, you pay more per ccf at higher usage rates.

 

[henry200]

In Ramsey County for the past couple years the water service has been charging $2.25 per 100 cu. ft. June through November and $2.15 during the winter months.  Sewer is a prorated percentage of usage.   When I was in a 2-person household with water-intensive gardens the highest bills were in the neighborhood of $90 -$100 for 3 months use.  For the last two years now living by myself and with much more "fend for itself" landscaping my average bill every 3 months is about $28.

 

 

 

[westie2]

Here is the link to our water/sewer charges. We have treated river water here and our sewer goes back into the rive off a sammler creek. Our sewer discharge is really better quality water that what is pumped in to treat.

http://www.siloamsprings.com/departments/water_wastewater/index.php

 

[mark_wpduet]

I have been meaning to call my water company. KY American Water.

Ever since I have lived in this house. I notice this...One month it says I used EXACTLY 3000 gallons of water, the next month it's EXACTLY 3750 gallons, without fail.

My water/sewer bill is about 50 to 60 dollars. That's for trash collection once per week as well.

 

[sudsmaster]

I forget what the rate per "unit" is, but generally my water bill is about $30 every two months. Typically I use less than 100 gallons per day, which is the goal set when there was a prolonged drought.

Half the bill is static - monthly service charges that don't change regardless of the amount of water you use. Naturally, after so many heeded the call to conserve water during the drought, and the utility imposed surcharges on what it considered to be excess usage, now they are saying that people conserved too much and they need to raise the rates to compensate.

 

[passatdoc]

I remember visiting friends in Sacramento in their new house in c. 1988. We were all new homeowners at the time. We were comparing notes and water bills came up as a discussion topic. I don't remember what they paid per month, but they had (at that time) NO WATER METER. They simply paid a fixed flat rate every month, perhaps graduated by house or lot size, but they did not pay by water used. Evidently the Sacramento River had so much water that no one could use it all. I don't remember if they were in Sacramento proper or Rancho Cordova, but there was no water meter.

Anyone else pay a flat monthly rate without a meter? I don't know if these friends still have the same situation or whether the city eventually installed meters.

 

[sudsmaster]

Sacramento residences still do not have water meters.

Here's a link to a chart of the rates that homes pay - it's based on the number of rooms in the home.

Commercial and industrial users pay by the volume of water they use.

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities/utilrate/CityofSacramentoDepartmentofUtilities-WaterRates.htm

 

[passatdoc]

Amazing. I remember in 1988 discussing landscaping plans---neither of us had our backyard landscapes done yet. Just mud. I had been researching drought tolerant ways to landscape and they didn't give water conservation a thought. No wonder!

 

[sudsmaster]

Don't worry.

Sacramentans may get their comeuppance this summer, when a record snow pack starts to melt, coupled with already overflowing reservoirs from record spring rains may spell record flooding in the low lying Sacramento area.

 

[geoff]

Wow!!!

I have two top-loaders, which I run 5 times a week, one dishwasher and I take two showers a day. I pay for my water quarterly and my last water bill was $45. I guess water is very cheap in the northeast. Anyone else in the CT area with cheap water bills???

 

[sudsmaster]

Oddly, I think based on the water rates in Sacramento and my usage, vs. the number of rooms in my home, I'd pay more per month for water in Sac than I do here by the Bay.

Of course, in Sac I'd get unlimited water usage, so I wouldn't need to pay for the electricity used to run the well pump for irrigation.