City Switching To Metered Water Bill

Sacramento water customers who have a water meter on their home, and who have received a comparative bill for at least one year, will start paying for the water they use in January 2010.

“(This) impacts any home built after 1992 and any home that has been subject to our water meter retrofit,” city utilities spokesperson Jessica Hess said. “In some areas, this means there is only one or two houses on the street and in other areas, the whole street will be converted.”

Residents who have a meter, but who have not had a year of comparative billing will remain on a flat rate until they have received a year of comparative billing. Customers who do not currently have a water meter will receive a year of comparative billing once a water meter is installed before being switched to a metered rate.

The City is installing water meters on more than 110,000 homes by 2025 and converting customers with a water meter to metered billing in compliance with State law. Questions to ask to help determine whether you are paying a metered or flat rate include:

• Was your home built after 1992? If yes, a meter was installed when the home was built and the city has been providing a comparative bill for over a year.
• Did your home receive a meter yet as part of the city’s Water Meter Retrofit Program. If yes, there will be a rectangular meter box in the sidewalk in front of their home labeled “water.” And have you received a comparative water bill for at least one year (this is on the back of most customer bills)?

Questions? Call the City’s Utility Billing group at 808-5454.