The City of Blue Springs uses a Winter Sewer Average for residential customers to help ensure sewer charges reflect typical household usage.

 

Because sewer charges are based on water consumption, outdoor water use (such as lawn irrigation, filling pools and washing vehicles) can significantly increase water usage during warmer months. The Winter Sewer Average helps adjust billing to better reflect the amount of water that typically enters the sanitary sewer system.

Important Information

  • Winter Sewer Average applies to residential accounts only.
  • Sewer charges are still based on water consumption recorded through your meter.
  • The Winter Sewer Average is reviewed annually based on updated usage history.

Your Winter Sewer Average is based on your water usage during the winter months when outdoor water use is typically lowest. It is calculated using the water usage from your:

  • January bill
  • February bill
  • March bill
  • April bill

The average of these months becomes your Winter Sewer Average, which is applied to your sewer charges for the May through December billing cycles.

  • From May through December, your sewer charges are based on your Winter Sewer Average rather than actual monthly water usage.
  • If your actual monthly water usage is lower than your Winter Sewer Average, you will be billed based on actual usage instead.
  • This ensures customers are not charged sewer fees for outdoor water use that does not enter the sanitary sewer system.

If your Winter Sewer Average is 7,500 gallons, your sewer charges from May through December will be based on that amount each month.

  • If you use 10,000 gallons of water, you are still billed for 7,500 gallons for sewer purposes.
  • If you use 5,000 gallons of water, you are billed for 5,000 gallons (actual usage, since it is lower than your average).

This ensures you are not charged sewer fees for higher summer water usage that does not enter the sanitary sewer system.

New customers who do not yet have winter usage history will receive a default Winter Sewer Average of 7,500 gallons. This average will be updated once sufficient usage history is established.