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Water utility companies don't just charge you for the volume of water that's delivered to your location, they can also include fixed meter charges, booster charges, waste water fees and even tiered pricing. To understand how to actually put a dent in your billing, let's look at how you're being billed in the first place.

Consumption Quantity

The actual volume of water usage you are billed for. Commonly this is measured monthly in either Gallons or Centum Cubic Feet (CCF, or 100 Cubic Feet). Of course, this measurement can be further inflated with the inclusion of air by volume in Gallons or CCF. For reference, 1 CCF is approximately 748 US Gallons.

Price Per Gallon/CCF

The actual fee per unit of volume that you will be charged for. If you pay $5 per gallon of water and use 10 gallons, it will cost you $50.00.

Fixed Meter Charge

Like most utilities, you will be charged a monthly fee just to be connected to the water line. This charge represents what your water company charges on a monthly basis for your account.

Fixed Booster Charge

Some locations require additional "boosted" pumping as they may be at a greater elevation or distance from the water utility's source. Pump houses and pumping stations don't need to be utilized by all utility customers, so they are generally paid for by the ones who do. Commonly this is included as an additional fixed charge on water bills if required by the location in which the service sits.

Waste Water Charge

Waste water needs to be processed and treated, while waste water/sewage is not measured when leaving a user's property, it is determined by how much water was delivered in the first place. Utility customers are billed for it at a rate reflected by either a fraction or multiple of the Price Per Gallon/CCF rate, depending on the region and company. For example, if you pay $5 per gallon of water and $5 per gallon of waste water, while using 10 gallons, your bill will be the combined total of both $50 charges; a total fee of $100.00.

Tiered Pricing

Mostly observed in commercial and industrial water utility supply, some locations are billed through a schedule of tiered pricing, in which there will be a standard price per gallon/CCF at a fixed rate for a determined quantity, and differing rates for volumes in excess of that quantity. Customers can pay different rates for different ranges of consumption, whether they are charged higher rates for more, or given a price break at higher volumes, again depending on the region and location.