What is Sewer Service?

Ways to Reduce Sewer Charges

The main question to answer is “How do you reduce sewer charges?” While it can feel impossible to get those costs down, there are in fact several things you can do that will provide significant impact. 

• Bathroom: A great place to start with lowering sewer charges is in the bathroom. You can have a low-flow shower head, helping to reduce the amount of water used in the shower. We also suggest simply taking shorter showers, using less water in the bathtub, and more. 
• Kitchen: Rather than running the sink the entire time while washing dishes, fill the sink up and only use that water. Run the dishwasher only when it is full and install an instant-water heater directly on the kitchen sink to reduce the amount of time needed to make it hot. 
• Outdoor Watering: One of the best ways to save money on water outdoors is to have a plumber install a rain sensor. This will indicate to your automatic watering system not to water the lawn if it is raining. Believe it or not, this action alone can save you between $10 and $60 each bill. 
• Leak Checks: Leaking toilets are the number one culprit for increased sewer and water bills. Check your toilet is okay by dropping in a few drops of food coloring into the tank. If you notice the coloring in the bowl after about 30-minutes, you have a leak. That needs to be fixed as soon as possible to start saving you money. 

One of the few exceptions might be if you need busted, rusted and broken pipe repair, you might not notice an immediate drop in your utility bills. They might still reflect the amount of water used before the repairs, depending on when they were scheduled and when the month starts for your property.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is my sewer service so high?
  • Generally, the reason your sewer service bills may be higher has to do with an increase of water consumption. This could be because of a leak or because more household members using water. 
• How is sewer service charge calculated?
  • Basically, the charge is based on the amount of water actually used each month for a property. The city gets to that answer by multiplying the cubic feet of water used by the established sewer rate. 
• How much should my water and sewer bill be? 
  • The total amount will depend on how often you and your household members are using water in the house. On average, homeowners can expect to pay around $70/month for water whereas households that use less water pay around $35/month.
• What is submetered sewer service?
  • This is applicable to property owners that may have multiple properties on the same water and sewer line. Submetered sewer services would be calculated with a formula to determine how much each unit uses from the same source. 
• Can sewer service be shut off?
  • If you miss a payment or do not pay your utilities all together, and you use city water, then the city can turn your water off. There is also usually a way to turn off water flow to your home temporarily if there is a leak or problem with the plumbing.