Wow, my sewer bill went way up (or way down). How are sewer bills calculated?

Sewer rates are recalculated every July, based on the average quarterly water usage during the last three months of the previous year (October-December) and the first three months of the current year (January – March). During the fall and winter months virtually all water use flows into sewer systems.

In other words the sewer rate calculation is based on the water consumption periods (Oct – March) and are reflected with the July billing cycle and continuing for the following three billing cycles (October, January and April). As a result, some residents observe large fluctuations in their sewer bill from year to year due to their water usage during the preceding winter.