Looking to save some money? A little-known window of opportunity is
about to open to lower the cost of monthly sewer bills. The savings may
not be great, but in this depressed economy, every little bit
helps.

Earlier this year, Pima County imposed a 45 percent rate increase on
sewer charges. (See “Holy Crap!” Jan. 29.) This was just the latest in
a series of nine sewer-user changes made since 2002—and now, some
consumers can fight back.

Sewer charges are based on the total amount of water a household or
business uses. But instead of varying the charges month by month, an
average is established by the Pima County Regional Wastewater
Reclamation Department (PCRWRD). This average is based on the amount of
water used by each household and business in December through February.
This average is then employed by PCRWRD the following July to calculate
sewer charges for the coming 12 months.

However, snowbirds and others who may be out of town during the
scorching summer aren’t penalized by this system. As Jeff Nichols of
PCRWRD explains: “The bill is the lower of the winter average or the
actual (monthly) use (during a month).”

There’s even an appeals procedure available for the winter-months
averaging process. Check it out at dot.pima.gov/wwm/apps/sewerbillingappeal.

The winter months are typically the lowest period for outdoor
watering by most users, which translates into the lowest amount of
water used during the year. According to figures supplied by Tucson
Water, the usage in January, February and December 2008 was more than
20 percent lower than any other three-month period.

For households, the current average monthly use for the three winter
months is 7,480 gallons. That translates into a typical sewer bill of
almost $30 a month—an amount that can be lowered by reducing
winter water use.

As an example, if average winter water usage is cut in half, the
monthly sewer bill would drop to $19. That’s a savings of $132 over a
year. (Of course, if everyone reduced his or her water usage by
approximately the same amount, no one would save much, if anything,
because everyone would be using the same percentage of water compared
to everyone else.)

Another way some people can save money on their sewer costs is to
sign up for Pima County’s bill-assistance program. This effort is
directed at households in which people earn up to 150 percent of the
federal poverty income. For a family of four, this monthly amount is
currently $1,838, or $22,050 a year. The monthly sewer rates for
households can be reduced by as much as two-thirds, a savings of $19 a
month.

For those interested, more information is available by calling the
Pima County Community Action Agency at 243-6794.

In addition to the variable sewer charge, there is also a set
service fee on the sewer bill. This $8.32 fee, according to Nichols,
pays for both fixed costs of the system and administrative costs such
as the expense of billing charged by the four water providers which
PCRWRD deals with. These agencies are Tucson Water, Marana, Oro Valley
and Metro Water, which mail out combined water/sewer bills.

Commercial sewer users are now treated the same as residential
customers: They also pay a charge based on water usage from December
through February. But Nichols says his department is considering
revising its approach for commercial users. He says the Pima County
Board of Supervisors may be asked to change this early next year.

“We’re looking at actual water use,” Nichols says of business
customers. “So their bills would change monthly.”

This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2009.