How much water a Melissa household runs through its taps this winter will shape its sewer bill for most of next year, and the city is asking residents to start paying attention now.
A city news release posted Monday says the yearly winter averaging window opens Nov. 15 and closes Feb. 15, 2027. A home's average water use across those three months is what the city uses to figure its residential sewer charge.
The reasoning, according to the release, is that people water their lawns far less in cold weather, so winter use gives a closer estimate of how much water actually goes down the drain and into the wastewater system. The city does not meter wastewater at individual homes.
How the average is used
Monthly water charges still rise and fall with what a household uses each month. The usage-based part of the sewer charge does not. Once the winter number is locked in, it sets the monthly sewer charge through the next billing cycle.
That means a problem during the averaging window can follow a household for months. "A running toilet, an undetected leak, or unnecessary outdoor watering can increase the average used to calculate sewer charges," Chris Thatcher, the city's utility billing director, said in the release. "Taking care of those issues now can help residents avoid paying more throughout the year."
Thatcher also described the window as a chance for residents to look harder at their habits, saying small adjustments during those three months can change what a household pays for sewer service over the next year.
