Why do residents have to pay sewer charges on sprinkler water for their lawns?
The water meter at your home or business is used to determine charges for sanitary sewers with the assumption that most of the water used in your home or business eventually flows into the sanitary sewer (clothes, dish washing, showers, toilets, etc.). Both water and sewer bills are based on the water that flows through your water meter. Your water bill is based on the number of gallons of water used. The entities providing water are not-for-profit entities, and the total costs need to be covered in order for service to continue. If separate meters were allowed, the cost per unit of sewer would have to be increased to cover the costs of the service. The few communities that allow for separate metering have water and sewer rates that are as much as 200% higher than the communities that do not allow separate meters.