Each year on the February utility bill, the City resets the sanitary sewer winter usage sewer base on residential properties for the upcoming year. The sewer base is determined by taking the average water consumption for November through April (billed December through May).
Sewer Base Charges
This sewer base is set during the winter when all the water being used is for domestic purposes inside the house. That way residents are not billed sanitary sewer charges for water used during the summer on lawns and gardens, which basically goes back into the ground and not through the sanitary sewer system.
Minimum Base
If there is minimal or no consumption for the measurement period, a minimum base of 2,000 gallons will be used in setting the sewer base so that the sewer base is not set artificially low for residences that are vacant during the measurement months.
On bills from February through the next January, the resident will pay a charge based upon the winter usage sewer base or the actual water usage, whichever is less.