How much is your water and sewer bill?

10,000 gallons per quarter is way too high. I measure my domestic water consumption. With two adults, two preteen daughters, dog and 9 chickens, we are right at 75 gallons per day. A quarter is 90 days so 6750 gallons per quarter.

Utility rates are not calculated based on national averages. We calculate them based on system specific costs and needs. I raise sewer rates to my customers when I need to budget for replacement of very old sewer mains where my neighbor has new mains and need not raise the money so quickly so his rates are lower.

Wisneaky said:

I live in a really small town and I think my water and sewer bill is extremely high. I lived in other cities and never paid this much. We get charged by estimated gallons quarterly. No matter how much water we use we get charged the same number of gallons for sewer. So I am being estimated at 10,000 gallons a quarter. My water bill works out to be $24.80 a month and sewer is $43.42 which comes out to $818.64 a year. What is your thoughts?

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65$ per month for water and sewer is not bad.

Wisneaky said:

Should I go to the town and ask them why they are estimating me at 10,000 gallons?

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Won't hurt a bit. How can they bill you based on consumption when it isn't being measured? They are assuming 111 gpd which is not far from the old 120 gpd number that was used back in the 5 gallon per flush toilet days.

Do they estimate everybody's consumption the same way? As in, since they don't measure your specific use they just assume each residence uses 10,000 gpq and charge all homes the same monthly fee? If so then you have no reason to conserve, instead you will waste and let the tap run. Also, since you don't have 10 kids in your home but your neighbor does, charging you both the same rate effectively means you are paying for you neighbor's use. Not your fair share.

Wisneaky said:

It's based on family size. We have a family of 6

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That takes some balls. Setting rates based on family size results in a kid penalty. Why don't they have a separate surcharge if any of those family members are females. Maybe they will decide that people of a certain race use more because they are dirtier and charge accordingly.

With a family of 6 their estimate of 111 gpd might be a good guess. You have no reason to conserve though. Why not leave the water run while you brush your teeth or water the heck out of your lawn? They should meter their system to catch leaks as well.

i am sure you have a meter, why not check it for a month, you might be getting a deal.
Remember the saying, be careful what you wish for.

Highbeam said:

I measure my domestic water consumption. With two adults, two preteen daughters, dog and 9 chickens, we are right at 75 gallons per day. A quarter is 90 days so 6750 gallons per quarter.

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That's pretty miserly.

I just got my first bill, from 6/25-8/5. Forty-two days and 8100 gallons, so 200ish/day. Same dynamics, but three dogs and 0 chickens.

Granted, we came from years of well and septic, with no regard for water usage. I'm sure we could do better, but I don't think we could cut it in half.

Unless you have some tips

Not sure.....Wife pays the bills, but I do know, that even though we have Septic, we are paying $22,000 for that Sewer Pipe that runs I front of our house

ironpony said:

i am sure you have a meter, why not check it for a month, you might be getting a deal.
Remember the saying, be careful what you wish for.

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There are many systems out there that are unmetered. Usually smaller systems. Sometimes a master meter situation where the small system is fed a measured amount from a larger system through a single large meter (mobile home parks do this a lot). Usually those systems are fed from a source that is vast, cheap, and in no danger of going dry so the actual amount of water isn't an issue. They just need to recoup the delivery costs.

Those systems are built initially by the developer and charge a cheap fee for water for a long time until that initial infrastructure needs to be replaced or upgraded and then they suddenly need to collect a lot of money from existing customers. That's when meters usually go in since the customers want a fair distribution of the fees.

jeff_t said:

That's pretty miserly.

I just got my first bill, from 6/25-8/5. Forty-two days and 8100 gallons, so 200ish/day. Same dynamics, but three dogs and 0 chickens.

Granted, we came from years of well and septic, with no regard for water usage. I'm sure we could do better, but I don't think we could cut it in half.

Unless you have some tips

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I'm in this business and I also have 50 year old septic system that I'm trying to keep working so we don't waste water. My worst offense is the 25 year old dishwasher. No, not the wife, but an actual appliance! No baths, front loader washer, dual flush toilet, low flow shower heads. Yeah, we make an effort to conserve but not for money. It's for the health of our septic system. Oh and our water is not metered by the provider either, I pay one cord of wood per year.

I'm on a well, but this reminds me. I need to put a meter on my line.

Monaco said:

I'm on a well, but this reminds me. I need to put a meter on my line.

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I have two properties. My primary, where I put in a well, I have not put in a meter yet but would like to. Do you have a link to one you are considering?

On my rental, (currently being renovated and vacant) which is city water, I am paying $33.70 for 748 gallons (tier one usage) per month in California (drought stricken).

jeff_t said:

That's pretty miserly.

I just got my first bill, from 6/25-8/5. Forty-two days and 8100 gallons, so 200ish/day. Same dynamics, but three dogs and 0 chickens.

Granted, we came from years of well and septic, with no regard for water usage. I'm sure we could do better, but I don't think we could cut it in half.

Unless you have some tips

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One thing I have noticed is lots of hearth'ers are very misely with all utilities. when the electric bill threads come up people put up numbers so low I wonder if they even own a TV... I wait for @Ashful to chime in and make me not feel so guilty

Same thing here... I don't think I could match Highbeams numbers unless we all took sponge baths, used an outhouse and started eating off paper. 2 adults, 2 toddlers, no animals, no lawn watering and we are about 4500-5000 gal/month. Before the kids where born we where around 3000/month.

I wont put up detailed numbers because Im sure my rates are unusually high. Town is into a multi-million water main replacement program and they are paying for it via very high tiered water rates and a $75/qtr surcharge on every account. I'm looking at $75-80 a month for just water based on the above figures.

Highbeam said:

That takes some balls. Setting rates based on family size results in a kid penalty. Why don't they have a separate surcharge if any of those family members are females. Maybe they will decide that people of a certain race use more because they are dirtier and charge accordingly.

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I agree...

the way the water/sewer works here for residences (if you're on the system, which I am not at my house)... is basically they measure sewer flow... and assume the volume going down the drain is the same coming in... IIRC... it was 500-600/ 6mos in the 3 bedroom I was renting... and your bill is based on the average of the last year...

My house, still has a surface well, which I *hope* to rectify in the spring... so I have no choice to be anything other than miserly...

but that causes it's own problem.. as the iron barrel traps need a large flow (like a 5gal flush toilet) to keep them cleaned out. I am constantly battling the one connected to the shower.

Bret Chase said:

I agree...

the way the water/sewer works here for residences (if you're on the system, which I am not at my house)... is basically they measure sewer flow... and assume the volume going down the drain is the same coming in... IIRC... it was 500-600/ 6mos in the 3 bedroom I was renting... and your bill is based on the average of the last year...

My house, still has a surface well, which I *hope* to rectify in the spring... so I have no choice to be anything other than miserly...

but that causes it's own problem.. as the iron barrel traps need a large flow (like a 5gal flush toilet) to keep them cleaned out. I am constantly battling the one connected to the shower.

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How do they measure sewer flow?

I thought most municipalities with city water and sewer measured the water meter rate and just charged the same volume for sewer... not vice versa.

jharkin said:

How do they measure sewer flow?

I thought most municipalities with city water and sewer measured the water meter rate and just charged the same volume for sewer... not vice versa.

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honestly, idk..... i haven't lived there in years...

BrotherBart said:

$1,200 every twenty years or so for a well pump replacement and $250 every five years to get the septic pumped.

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Same here, and no additives in the water.

$160 Quarterly. Better for me than a new well and septic.

jharkin said:

How do they measure sewer flow?

I thought most municipalities with city water and sewer measured the water meter rate and just charged the same volume for sewer... not vice versa.

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I'm 99% sure they measure water flow during non irrigation months, November to April, and assume you use that much sewer year round. You can measure sewer flow but it's way harder and more expensive.

$64.50 per 1000m^3 for H20 and $90~ for sewer per quarter. We have septic so that saves some $$$.

I have well and septic, but I'm thinking that $65 a month isn't so bad. Think about exactly what you're getting for $65. That's pretty amazing, IMO.