Water & Sewer Rates and Current Charges
Water & Sewer Rates Update
There will be no increases to Phoenix water and sewer rates for the 2013-14 fiscal year.
Water Services’ five-year capital improvement program maintains funding for rehabilitation and replacement, required capacity for future growth, the ability to meet or exceed all federal water quality standards, and maintaining Phoenix’s critical AAA bond rating.
Phoenix residents have the fifth-lowest water and sewer bill of the nation’s 20 largest cities, at $58.46 per month for single family residences ($37.75 for water, $20.71 for sewer). No increases were made possible because of additional, significant savings and efficiencies within the city’s Water Services Department stemming from employee and management ideas, and an efficiency study that was reviewed by a citizen’s advisory panel. Some of those savings include: $8 million in reduced chemical costs, $2.4 million from the elimination of an additional 33 positions, $800,000 in energy conservation measures, $3.2 million in reduced debt service from the sale of the city’s McMullen Valley property, $1 million in sewer operating efficiencies, $3 million in reduced granular activated carbon costs, and revenue increases due to the improved economy.
Your monthly City Service Bill includes water, sewer, garbage and recycling, as well as fees for unfunded federal environmental regulations, the jail tax that Phoenix must pay the county, the state landfill disposal fee, and city and state taxes. Learn more about your City Services Bill.
Other, recent innovations, efficiencies and strategies that have resulted in savings in order to keep Phoenix’s water and sewer rates as low as possible included:
- Reducing management staff by 25 percent and eliminated 39 additional Water Services positions through streamlining and efficiencies
- Budget savings of more than $19 million in 2011-2012
- Projecting approximately $10 million in ongoing savings in 2012-13
- Reducing the five-year Capital Improvement Program by $263 million
- Utilizing AAA credit rating to reduce debt service through refinancing by $43 million
- Identifying $14.5 million in annual savings and efficiencies in the recent Water Efficiency Study conducted by an independent consultant
- Generating $4.5 million per year by selling reclaimed water to Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station
- Avoiding $54 million in upgrade costs and saved an additional $1.4 million annually by closing the Verde Water Treatment Plant
- Outsourcing carbon regeneration to save $700,000 annually
- Implementing energy management program for a savings of $420,000 in 2011-2012
- Continuing to collect $5 million a year with new late payment fees program
Phoenix Water Services will continue to meet unfunded federal water quality requirements, effectively manage escalating costs and provide safe, reliable drinking water and critical public health and safety services.
What you can do to reduce your water charges:
- Limit your water usage to the amount in the monthly base fee to reduce your costs. The monthly residential water base fee of $4.36 includes 4,488
gallons of water from October through May and 7,480 gallons from June through September. If you use this amount or less, you will not be charged
additional water usage or consumption fees. - Use low water use plants and drip irrigation to reduce your water consumption. About 50% of water used in a typical residential home is for
outdoor landscaping or swimming pools. - Reduce your consumption in January, February and March of each year and you could reduce your annual sewer costs. Your monthly sewer charge is
calculated on your water usage in those months.
Current Specific Water & Sewer Rate Charges
The water rates in Phoenix have three main components: the monthly fixed service charge, volume (usage) charges and environmental charges. Download the current rate schedule 
.
Monthly Service Charge
The monthly fixed service charge is not increasing in 2012. The fixed monthly service charge includes six (6) units of water (4,488 gallons) for October through May, and ten (10) units of water (7,480 gallons) for June through September. The service charge varies depending upon your meter size and whether you receive service inside or outside the city. Below is the service charge schedule for the rates effective July 1, 2012. All charges are subject to applicable sales taxes. For more information about taxes and other service charge related fees, download a tax and fee information sheet .
|
MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGE (Effective July 1, 2012) |
||
| Meter Size | Inside City | Outside City |
| 5/8" | $4.36 | $6.54 |
| 3/4" | 4.45 | 6.68 |
| 1" | 4.49 | 6.74 |
| 1 1/2" | 5.57 | 8.36 |
| 2" | 5.97 | 8.96 |
| 3" | 20.23 | 30.35 |
| 4" | 22.56 | 33.84 |
| 6" | 24.60 | 36.90 |
Water Volume Charges
Volume charges vary with the seasons and are assessed on water usage above the amount in the fixed monthly service charge. The amount a customer is charged for volume is based on metered consumption, and also varies depending upon whether you receive service inside or outside the city. The volume charge is highest in the summer months (June, July, August, and September); lowest in the winter months (December, January, February and March); and are priced in between during spring and fall months (April, May, October, and November). Below is the volume charge schedule for the rates effective July 1, 2012.
|
VOLUME CHARGES (Effective July 1, 2012) |
||
| In excess of use included with the monthly service charge | ||
| Months | Inside City | Outside City |
| Low Months: Dec., Jan., Feb., March |
$2.86 | $4.29 |
| Medium Months: April, May, Oct., Nov. |
3.37 | 5.06 |
| High Months: June, July, Aug., Sept. |
3.77 | 5.66 |
Environmental Charges
Environmental charges are assessed on each unit used and vary depending upon whether you receive service inside or outside the city. Environmental charges are levied as part of the cost to implement unfunded regulations created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, or the Maricopa County Department of Environmental Services. Below is the environmental charge schedule for the rates effective July 1, 2012.
|
ENVIRONMENTAL CHARGES (Effective July 1, 2012) |
||
| Note | Inside City | Outside City |
| Applied to all usage | $0.38 | $0.57 |
Sewer Charges
Your monthly sewer charge is based on a calculation of 90 percent of the average water billed for January through March on your City Services Bill. You can download a listing of sewer service charges by user category that will show how by sewer charges are applied to all the various types of customers. For more information about taxes and other service charge related fees, download a tax and fee calculation sheet. If you would like to learn more about your sewer charges, please contact the City of Phoenix Water Services Department Customer Services Division at 602-262-6251, or e-mail them at water.customer.service@phoenix.gov
Ways to lower your monthly sewer charge
The best way to lower your monthly sewer charge is to use less water during the months of January through March. To learn about ways to use less water, indoors and outdoors, request literature from the Phoenix Water Conservation Office.
If you own and maintain a swimming pool, another way to lower your sewer and your water charges when you refill the pool, is to do so when the water rates are at their lowest. And, if you refill the pool during the months of January, February or March, request a sewer appeal form so the large volume charge doesn't impact your sewer charge. This form must be submitted by the end of September to be eligible for consideration.
Monthly Operations & Maintenance Distribution of Sewer Charges
Your sewer bill includes a base monthly service charge of $1 and a sewer service charge based on a portion of the average consumption for the period of January, February and March. The sewer service charge recovers operation, maintenance and new facilities costs. The table below shows, by major user type, the percentage of the total monthly charges attributed to operation and maintenance of the system. 41.51% of the sewer environmental charge is used for operation and maintenance of the system. The remainder pays for new environmental facilities costs. The sewer information is based on rates effective in March 2010, since there is no 2011 increase. This information is provided per Phoenix City Code Sec. 28-37 (b).
| USER TYPE | % O & M |
| Residential | |
| Single Family Residence | 34.25 |
| Multi-Family Residence | 34.25 |
| Commercial | |
| Domestic Strength | 33.37 |
| - With Dining | 33.37 |
| Laundries/Commercial | 34.79 |
| Mortuaries | 37.48 |
| Restaurants & Bakeries | 34.29 |
| - With dining | 35.09 |
| Public | |
| Federal Buildings | 34.24 |
| - With Dining | 33.76 |
| All Other Public Buildings | 34.24 |
| - With dining | 33.76 |
More Information
For information about water and sewer billing, please contact the Water Customer Services Division, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding city holidays, at 602-262-6251. (However, the best days to reach them are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays). You also can send an e-mail to water.customer.service@phoenix.gov.
Also, visit phoenix.gov/water to view the At Your Service guide and videos.
