Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,762
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Our sewer bill is based on the water used.  If you use no water, they will bill you a set minimum bill for both the water and sewer.

 

Trash is billed quarterly.  Everyone pays the same.  We had one lady in our township  who said she generated no trash and she did not want to pay for trash removal that she never used.  She called the TV  station who looked into it for her...she made a big deal out of it, but it was determined that she still had to pay.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 767
Registered: ‎06-04-2016

@bikerbabe wrote:
Sewer and trash are a flat fee for everyone. I’ve never heard of sewer based on useage.

---

Our sewer bill is based on water usage.

 

If you use water that does not flow directly into the sewer system (for example, a lawn sprinkler system or above-ground pool) you have the option of having a separate meter installed to bill water usage without the corresponding sewer cost.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 767
Registered: ‎06-04-2016

@Carmie wrote:

Our sewer bill is based on the water used.  If you use no water, they will bill you a set minimum bill for both the water and sewer.

 

Trash is billed quarterly.  Everyone pays the same.  We had one lady in our township  who said she generated no trash and she did not want to pay for trash removal that she never used.  She called the TV  station who looked into it for her...she made a big deal out of it, but it was determined that she still had to pay.


---

 

I wonder how she managed that. I suppose if one had enough property, they could bury a small amount of compostable trash.

 

I once knew a family that burned all of their trash, but I think it was illegal to do so. I knew another woman who took her bag of trash to the grocery store dumpster every couple of days, also probably illegal.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,168
Registered: ‎03-14-2010
Our water is based on usage...and they jacked up the rates two years ago due to a drought....restricted watering lawns, etc. basically our bill doubled and we had cut way back on our water use....
Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

We have  separate water, sewer  and trash bills.  

 

Water  is based on individual home usage...

 

.trash is pretty much a set price (  trash, recycle, and yard waste) and you  are charged more if you leave extra out of any of the three accordingly.

 

sewer is a set price that is the same for each home in the subdivision. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,775
Registered: ‎10-30-2010

Re: Sewer/Trash question

[ Edited ]

Where I live the sewer rate is based on my water usage. Everyone is billed according to their own personal usage, but they have different tiers. I can't remember what they are called because I am paperless and pay my bills online, but if you are a water hog then you pay a higher rate. When I use to receive a paper bill I was always in the lowest tier of pricing. 

 

Trash is a separate company and billed quarterly. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,775
Registered: ‎07-09-2011

 

 

Have a very deep, very high pressure well, and a septic system.  Due to living way, way out in the country.  I would not change.

 

I believe sewer service charges are based on the # of bedrooms in the house unless it is a flat fee for everyone.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,788
Registered: ‎08-18-2016

Trash is charged per residence.

Single family gets one cart, Duplex gets two. Etc

If you regularly generate more trash than one cart can hold you can request a 2nd, 3rd trash cart be issued to your residence. There's an additional charge for each one.

 

If you have a one time excess you can call for a special pick up, at additional charge.

I cut up an entire mattress to make it fit into a cart to avoid the extra charge.

 

No reduction for generating less than average amount of trash.

 

In response to complaints re rising property tax bills, mayor took sewer and plowing charges out of prop tax and hid them in the water bill!!

 

So water bills have tripled.

Sewer is billed by the foot of sewer line across width of individual property. Special pricing for property on the corners so they aren't billed double.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 598
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Our trash collection is included in property tax bills, along with snow plowing, education system, city employees, etc., not a separate item, but just paid by property owners (basically because tenants don't pay and they should be paying...but that's another story for another day when someone wants to talk about that).

 

Our water & sewer charges are metered so we pay for what we use.  The sewer charges are about 3.25 times the water rate. So if you use $100 in water, you get charged $325 in sewer charges.  It is assumed that if water comes through your meter it goes out as sewerage.  They do not even allow a percentage for drinking or cooking purposes or anything like that.  The only way you can deduct any sewerage charges is to use an outside water meter for anything outside...washing cars, gardens & plants, pressure washing house or yard items.  At end of season that outside meter is taken to water department and meter is read and calculated to get the sewer charges deducted for only that outside useage.  They have the right to question or refuse if the amount on that outside meter is too high in comparison to your regular water meter reading.


Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,629
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@bikerbabe wrote:
Sewer and trash are a flat fee for everyone. I’ve never heard of sewer based on useage.

In the crazy town where my mom lives your water is charged on usage then the sewer is the same amount as the water.  Not that that makes any sense.  Trash pickup is separate and is really expensive.