What Is the Sewer Charge on My Water Bill?
Understand the sewer charge on your water bill. Learn what it covers, how it's calculated, and practical ways to manage your wastewater costs.
A sewer charge on your water bill covers collecting, treating, and safely disposing of wastewater from your property. This utility bill component ensures that the water you use indoors, which eventually goes down the drain, is processed before being returned to the environment. Understanding this charge helps clarify a significant part of monthly household expenses. It reflects investment in public health and environmental protection within communities.
Understanding the Sewer Charge
The sewer charge covers managing wastewater. This includes infrastructure and operational expenses of the wastewater system, such as sewer pipes, pumping stations, and treatment facilities. While this charge appears on your water bill, it specifically pays for the water that leaves your property and enters the municipal sewer system, rather than the fresh water supplied to your home.
Wastewater must be collected, transported, and treated to rigorous standards before it can be discharged into natural waterways. This complex treatment process, involving sophisticated biological systems and filtration, is crucial for public health and environmental protection. The funds collected through sewer charges support the ongoing maintenance, repair, and necessary upgrades to this sewer infrastructure, ensuring its reliable operation. In many areas, the cost of treating wastewater is higher than providing clean drinking water, which can make sewer bills as much as, or even more than, water bills.
How Sewer Charges Are Calculated
Utility providers calculate sewer charges, most commonly based on metered water consumption. This method assumes that most of the water used indoors eventually becomes wastewater and enters the sewer system. A common unit of measurement for water usage is centum cubic feet (CCF) or hundred cubic feet (HCF), where one CCF or HCF equals 748 gallons.
Some utilities use volume-based charges, correlating fees to water used, often expressed per 1,000 gallons or per CCF. Less common are flat-rate charges, which impose a fixed monthly fee regardless of actual usage. Many residential customers benefit from “winter averaging,” where sewer charges are based on average water usage during specific winter months, typically from November through March. This practice accounts for outdoor water use during warmer months, such as irrigation or car washing, which does not typically enter the sewer system, preventing customers from being charged sewer fees for that water. Some calculations even exclude the highest and lowest usage months from the winter average to provide a more accurate representation of indoor water use.
Some utilities utilize tiered rates, where the cost per unit of water usage increases as consumption rises beyond certain thresholds. This encourages water conservation, as higher usage results in a higher per-unit cost. The specific calculation method varies significantly by utility and location, making it important to understand your local provider’s billing structure.
Interpreting Your Sewer Bill
Your sewer bill will have a line item labeled “sewer,” “wastewater,” or “sewer service charge”. This charge is almost always based on the water meter readings also present on your bill, as water usage is a primary indicator of wastewater generation. You will often see usage reported in units like CCF or HCF, which can be converted to gallons (1 CCF/HCF = 748 gallons) to better comprehend consumption.
High sewer charges often mirror patterns in your water consumption. Reasons for an increase include greater indoor water usage, such as more laundry cycles or additional guests. Undetected leaks in toilets, faucets, or pipes are also frequent culprits, as even a small, continuous leak can waste thousands of gallons of water monthly, directly impacting your sewer bill. Additionally, if your utility does not use winter averaging, significant seasonal outdoor watering could lead to higher sewer charges, as the system assumes all metered water enters the sewer. Checking past bills for comparison can help identify unusual spikes, and some utilities offer a separate irrigation meter to prevent sewer charges on outdoor water use that does not enter the wastewater system.
Strategies for Managing Sewer Costs
Managing sewer costs involves being mindful of indoor water consumption, as sewer charges are typically tied to the volume of water used. A crucial step is promptly detecting and repairing any leaks in your plumbing system, including toilets, faucets, and pipes. Even minor drips can lead to significant water waste, directly increasing both your water and sewer bills. You can check for toilet leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring to the tank and observing if the color appears in the bowl without flushing.
Upgrading to water-efficient appliances and fixtures, such as low-flow showerheads, faucets, and ENERGY STAR certified washing machines and dishwashers, reduces water usage and your sewer bill. Simple behavioral changes, like taking shorter showers, turning off the tap while brushing teeth, and only running full loads in washing machines and dishwashers, also save water. For outdoor water use, if your utility does not employ winter averaging, consider inquiring about installing a separate irrigation meter. This dedicated meter ensures that water used for lawns or gardens, which does not enter the sewer system, is not subject to sewer charges. Finally, if you have questions about your bill or suspect an error, contacting your local utility provider is recommended for specific rate information or potential leak adjustments.