Why Are Sewer Charges So High? Reasons for the High Cost

Sewer charges are a regular utility expense for most households, though their cost can seem unclear. These charges cover the collection, treatment, and safe return of wastewater to the environment, requiring extensive infrastructure. This article clarifies the components of sewer charges and factors influencing their cost.

Understanding the Components of Sewer Charges

A typical sewer bill includes both fixed and variable charges. Fixed fees recover constant costs of operating the wastewater system, regardless of water volume used. These can include a base service charge, covering expenses like meter reading, billing, and administrative costs. Many utilities also include fixed charges to maintain existing infrastructure, fund improvements, and repay loans for system construction.

Variable charges are based on the amount of water a household uses, approximating wastewater discharged. These volume-based charges are typically calculated per unit of water consumed, such as per 1,000 gallons or per 750 cubic feet. Some bills may include specific surcharges, such as capital improvement fees for major projects, environmental fees for regulatory compliance, or stormwater utility fees covering runoff management.

Factors Influencing Sewer Service Costs

Sewer service costs are driven by the infrastructure required. This includes networks of underground pipes, lift stations that pump wastewater to higher elevations, and sophisticated wastewater treatment plants. These plants remove pollutants from wastewater before discharge, a process involving multiple stages of physical, chemical, and biological treatment.

Ongoing operation and maintenance expenses are another factor, encompassing labor costs for skilled technicians, energy consumption for pumping and treatment processes, and chemicals used in purification. Regular equipment repair, system upgrades, and preventative maintenance are also necessary. Environmental regulations add to these costs by requiring advanced treatment technologies and monitoring to meet discharge standards. Compliance often necessitates investment in plant upgrades.

Geographic challenges can further escalate costs. Areas with difficult terrain may require more expensive construction methods or additional pumping stations. Servicing sparsely populated areas can be less economically efficient due to spread-out infrastructure. Many large-scale infrastructure projects, such as building new treatment plants or replacing aging pipelines, are financed through long-term debt. The repayment of this debt, including interest, becomes a fixed cost passed on to customers through their sewer rates.

How Sewer Usage is Measured and Billed

Sewer usage is typically not directly metered at the point of discharge from a property. Instead, it is commonly calculated based on the property’s incoming water consumption, measured by a water meter. This method assumes the volume of water entering a home closely approximates the wastewater leaving it.

Many utilities employ a “winter averaging” method for residential customers to account for outdoor water use that does not enter the sewer system, such as lawn irrigation or filling swimming pools. Under this approach, a customer’s sewer bill for the entire year, or at least the higher-usage summer months, is based on their average water consumption during a specific low-usage period, typically the winter months (e.g., November through April). If summer water usage exceeds the winter average, the sewer bill will remain based on the lower winter average, preventing customers from being charged for water that does not contribute to the wastewater stream. For properties with significant outdoor water use, some utilities offer the option of installing a separate irrigation meter. This meter measures water used for outdoor purposes, and this volume is then excluded from the sewer charge calculation, providing a more accurate reflection of indoor wastewater generation.

Common Reasons for Unexpectedly High Bills

An unexpectedly high sewer bill can be attributed to increased water usage within the household. Seasonal activities, such as gardening, filling a swimming pool, or an increase in household occupants, can significantly elevate water consumption, impacting the variable sewer charge. Changes in daily habits, like more frequent laundry cycles or longer showers, also contribute to higher water and, consequently, sewer usage.

Undetected leaks are another cause of sudden bill increases. A running toilet, even a slow drip from a faucet, or a leak in an irrigation system can waste hundreds or thousands of gallons of water each month, all of which may be counted towards sewer usage. These leaks can be difficult to notice without careful monitoring of water meters or specific leak detection tests. Utilities often provide resources or guidance on how to check for such leaks.

Billing errors, although less common, can also lead to an inflated bill. These may include meter misreads, incorrect data entry, or miscalculations by the utility. Customers can typically contact their utility provider to request a review of their account and a re-read of their meter if they suspect an error. Recent rate increases implemented by the utility can result in higher bills, even if water usage remains consistent. Utilities periodically adjust rates to cover rising operational costs, infrastructure investments, or compliance with new regulations.