What would be a fair cost for city utilities?

G

grasscutter

Joined
Feb 6, 2025
Messages
656
Service Period: 09/01/2025 - 10/31/2025

Current Charges:
Water Residential $27.71
Water Residential Tier 1 $11.30
Sewage Residential $64.48
Sewer Bond Rebate -$14.60
Refuse Residential $57.20
Recycling Residential $9.96
Organics Residential $14.62
Street Sweeping $6.18
Total Current Charges: $176.85

I'd be interested to hear what your costs are.

Please don't ask me which state I reside in. I'm too embarrassed to tell you. :confused:
 
thats a 2 month bill. so about $87 a month? How much water usage?

I'm around 75$ a month with 2000 gallons $85 with 3000
city next to me which uses our water supply is usually around 35% higher.

Depending on your water use seems reasonable.
 
Wow! That is expensive.

I live on well and septic and do my own trash disposal at the county landfill. I estimate my costs to be about About $750 a year.
That factors in a septic tax, pumping every three years, estimated well system maintenance and trips to the landfill. I do my own well maintenance.
 
I live out in the boonies. Water + sewer is about $120 a month (two separate bills) and I haul my own trash - the county recycling center is funded by the general county fund - no charge for residents to dump.

I would say yours including trash in the city is pretty reasonable.
 
I just received my city utility statement for 10/1 - 10/31.

Water $18.90
Water Usage $9.45
Sewer $5.50
Wastewater Treatment $28.30
Garbage (2 containers) $30.74
Storm Drain $4.00

Total $96.89

November thru February will be a little lower, as we had a dry early October, and I was still watering the lawn. July may be close to another $100 for water.
 
My bill last month, city provided:

5K water: $28.63
Sewage: $30.00
Trash $27.00
Storm Water 5.00

Total $90.63
 
It looks like you're in the reasonable range.
You're paying about what we pay.
I do wish that trash was billed by the amount disposed of.
We pay a flat amount and it amazes me how much stuff the neighbors throw our each week.
 
Trash is $30ish a month here and does not include yard waste.
Water is $70-80 in the non-irrigation months for a family of 5. $500 - $1,200 in the hot months when I’m watering.
Sewer is $67.

~$165/mo for those three items in the cool months.
 
I pay $40 a year to dump my trash at the town transfer station. Everything else... I have a well and septic so it's a blip of my electric bill and an occasional pumping.

Interesting how many municipalities break the charges down with such granularity. Reminds me of my sister's Texas license plate fees for stuff like the reflective coating being a line item.
 
Well and septic here.... Garbage runs me $30'ish a month billed quarterly. Our electric from our glorious legal monopoly is ridiculous though at ~$.21'ish a kWh depending on fuel cost adjustments and other riders. Highest in the state, and my 1 year old generator now has over 40 hours run time 🙄
 
City water + garbage is on the same bill, so like $60 for just me.
 
Just paid our monthly water/sewer/garbage bill for the month earlier today.

$88.00

Includes garbage pickup twice per week, and unlimited no charge use of the city dump/ recycle center to include landscape materials, used oil, you name it- they will accept it.
 
Water/Sewage is by a commission across several counties and townships and averages $50-$55 per month for two of us.
Trash is by the county and is paid for from county income tax, not billed individually.
 
grasscutter said:
Service Period: 09/01/2025 - 10/31/2025

Current Charges:
Water Residential $27.71
Water Residential Tier 1 $11.30
Sewage Residential $64.48
Sewer Bond Rebate -$14.60
Refuse Residential $57.20
Recycling Residential $9.96
Organics Residential $14.62
Street Sweeping $6.18
Total Current Charges: $176.85

I'd be interested to hear what your costs are.

Please don't ask me which state I reside in. I'm too embarrassed to tell you. :confused:
Click to expand...
Street sweeping, organics (whatever that is) and recycling shouldn't be charged. Recycling should be included with refuse. I don't know what your water consumption is. Otherwise for two months service, everything else is reasonable.
My last monthly charge roughly was:
300 cu. water $21 (senior discounted)
Sewer $27
Refuse $24 (senior discounted)
Storm water Mgt. $4.65. Covers two full time workers dedicated to clean ditches and maintain the water ways. Our city floods one in a while. I have no problem with this.
Water Meter Fee $3.50. This one bugs me the most. I never was charged for a meter for the last replacement (with a transmitter) some 20-25 years ago.New meters (WIFI) were installed for everyone. Mine was in June and this appeared in March for everyone before the meters were installed.
 
Lubener said:
Street sweeping, organics (whatever that is) and recycling shouldn't be charged. Recycling should be included with refuse. I don't know what your water consumption is. Otherwise for two months service, everything else is reasonable.
My last monthly charge roughly was:
300 cu. water $21 (senior discounted)
Sewer $27
Refuse $24 (senior discounted)
Storm water Mgt. $4.65. Covers two full time workers dedicated to clean ditches and maintain the water ways. Our city floods one in a while. I have no problem with this.
Water Meter Fee $3.50. This one bugs me the most. I never was charged for a meter for the last replacement (with a transmitter) some 20-25 years ago.New meters (WIFI) were installed for everyone. Mine was in June and this appeared in March for everyone before the meters were installed.
Click to expand...
They're saying I used 10,000 gallons in two months. That sounds like a lot. I don't know how I used that much, but I guess I did.

"Organic" - refers to the Green Toter. They provide three Toters: Gray, Green, and Blue. Toter being the manufacturer of the container.

"Water Residential Tier 1" - I don't know what that means.
 
There is no fair in general, you need to know where their cost is and whether they would have to subsidize it if they lower it.

In our area the biggest cost in water is due to enhancing the 100 year old waterway to make that earthquake proof. The water used to be near free that landlord provide free water in older apartment, but now regulation make sure each new apartment unit must have their own meter.

We pay like $240 every 2 month for water trash and sewage (which is just a fixed price on top of water really) for a family of 4, 27 gal trash can that you have to be very careful of what to pack inside every week, and distribute your "load" between busy and quiet weeks. I think they use train to haul our trash to a landfill a few hundred miles north of Redding.
 
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