Why Utility Rates are High in Riverstone (university, to live)

[lavared]

Hi

Thanks all. I'm currently watering 2x week with 7zones for 5 min each zone. Our consumption is coming out to be 9000-10000 gallons/month. I looked at my itemised costs in my bill and is as follows:
Water : $11.6 fixed, $1.24/1000gal additional
Sewer: $36.7 fixed, 2.8$/1000gal additional
City GRP fee: $2.26/1000 gal
Fire: $16-17

Anything peculiar in these costs?

Thanks

[texsn95]

Can't comment on the charges since I don't have my bill handy, but I've only run my sprinkler once in the past few months, and my St Augustine grass is as green as can be. Short watering like you're doing only encourages shallow root growth. I always deep water so my roots are down in the moisture zone and don't need much extra than what the rain provides. In the 100+ summer months I run my 6 zones once a week at about 20 minutes depending on the zone, wait a few hours then do it again to ensure it penetrates deep into the soil.

[hulio82]

Originally Posted by lavared

Hi

Thanks all. I'm currently watering 2x week with 7zones for 5 min each zone. Our consumption is coming out to be 9000-10000 gallons/month. I looked at my itemised costs in my bill and is as follows:
Water : $11.6 fixed, $1.24/1000gal additional
Sewer: $36.7 fixed, 2.8$/1000gal additional
City GRP fee: $2.26/1000 gal
Fire: $16-17

Anything peculiar in these costs?

Thanks

Not sure how much it helps, but here's what ours is

Water:
0 - 10,000 gallons: $20 fixed,
next 5000 gallons- $1.50/1000,
next 5000 gallons, $1.75/1000,
next 5000 gallons, $2.00/1000,
next 5000 gallons, $2.50/1000,
thereafter, $3.50/1000,

Sewer: $45.98 flat

NFWBA Fee: $2.365/1000

[nervouslaughter]

Fire charge is because you're not in city limits, but you need that or else your home insurance rate would skyrocket. GRP fee means you're in the subsidence district and regulated by a water authority or on their ground water reduction plan. So basically around $33/mth for fire and garbage. Your rates are higher than most.

[trbstang]

Compared to mine, your sewer rate is higher, but that is just the way your MUD is structured. My last bill for 6,000 gallons is:

Water 9.65 $1.61 per 1,000
RWA 10.50 - North Harris Regional Water Authorty - for groundwater conversion $1.75 per 1,000
Sewer 10.75 $1.75 per 1,000

That is all we pay for. Maybe your prior place was like mine, and there were no fire or city fees.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by nervouslaughter

GRP fee means you're in the subsidence district and regulated by a water authority or on their ground water reduction plan.

The whole subsidence thing is a major contributing factor as to why water rates have risen so much over the last decade or so.

[swopoe]

As I said, I am also in Riverstone, but in a different MUD. Your GRP and Fire fees are higher than mine. For my current bill, 7800 gallons used, here are the details:

Water: $15.28
Sewer: $56.94
City GRP fee: $14.20
Fire: $8.91

Total: $95.33

We are watering the lawn twice a week.

[truelies]

I also live in Riverstone. The water bill is real high here. They charge about $2000 on MUD and LID each year, why still charge sewer and others again? I am from China, curious about why own a house is so expensive in US?

[quangp]

I don't think the rates are that bad though. In fact, I think that they are too cheap compare to other countries and cause us to be much more wasteful.

[Bentley2013]

The Sewer Fee is the one that kills most people in new neighborhoods.