To apply for sewer service, please contact West City Hall.

New sewer service rates:

Why do I pay sewer rates?

Outdoor water use either seeps into the ground or evaporates, while indoor water use runs into the wastewater plumbing subsystem and eventually to the wastewater treatment plant. Winter Averaging is implemented during the low outdoor usage period to get a better average of customers’ water use. Sewer fees cover the maintenance, operation, and upkeep of West’s sewer infrastructure.

Winter Averaging
Winter averaging is a practice by which water use during the winter period is used to determine maximum sewer charges for the upcoming year. The utility bases the winter average on the average water consumption during November, January, and February. Winter averaging is not used for commercial accounts. A lot of questions have been posed on why this formula is used and how consumptions are determined. The information below is provided to help bring clarification to this practice.

Why does the city use winter use for averaging?
Your sewer bill is based on your water consumption. Outdoor water use (such as irrigation, car washing and recreational use) does not typically enter the city’s wastewater system and using winter averaging consumption prevents the wastewater portion of your utility from spiking during the summer.

How is winter averaging calculated?
Consumption information is calculated during the three winter billing months to arrive at the winter average. For example, if your water use for November =5,000 gallons, January =3,000 gallons, and February =5,500 your total winter consumption would be 13,500 gallons. This consumption is divided by 3 to determine your winter average would be 4,500 gallons (13,500 gallons / 3 months = 4,500 gallons). Your winter average consumption would be 4,500 gallons. The figure of 4,500 gallons would be your maximum sewer consumption for the next year. Therefore your maximum sewer charge for that year would be $59.74.

What if I use less water than my winter average?

If an account uses less water than the winter averaging consumption, the sewer charges would reflect charges for the actual water use. For example, if your winter averaging rate was 4,500 gallons and your current water consumption was 3,900 gallons your sewer charges would reflect 3,900 gallons of sewer use which would be $55.83.

What if I just opened my utility account with the City?

Residents who open a new account will be billed an average rate of 4,500 gallons, or their actual water use, whichever is lower until they’ve established their own winter average. Winter averaging consumptions are updated annually and are effective March 1st of each year.

What can I do to reduce my sewer charges?
Reducing overall water use during the winter averaging period is essential in cutting your sewer charges for the coming year. This reduction can be accomplished by fixing all leaks as soon as possible (toilets, faucets, service lines, irrigation systems).

• Turn off irrigation systems.
• Consider replacing old toilets with new, water-efficient models.
• Replace old shower heads and faucet aerators with new, efficient models.
• Use only the water that is needed when washing hands, dishes, or brushing teeth.