Why are sewer rates higher than water rates?
Sewer charges are higher than water costs for several reasons. Wastewater treatment is a more complex process than water treatment. Regulations require a high level of wastewater treatment for environmental protection, including sophisticated biological systems for removing organic materials, complicated filters, and modern disinfection methods. Our advanced systems are costly to build and operate, increasing the overall cost of wastewater service. However, the water we return to the environment is almost drinking water quality. Another reason for wastewater treatment costs being higher is that there are more people using our water service than wastewater service. Having a larger customer base to share the costs of operating the water system lowers the cost to individual customers. Wastewater costs are shared by fewer people, making sewer rates higher for each customer.
