On October 6, 2020, the Livingston City Commission passed Ordinance No. 2088, amending section 14-92 of the Livingston Municipal Code, which regulates the user charge basis for sewer services.
The purpose of this amendment is to provide more consistency between billing average winter month's usage and billing actual usage, based on metered water usage.
Effective November 5, 2020, all residential users will be billed for sewer using the following methods:
- Sewer usage during the month of October through March, users will be billed based on their metered water usage for each month.
- For the months of April through September, residential users will be billed for sewer on the lesser of
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- The average monthly water use for the months of October through March or
- Actual monthly metered water usage.
The City has established a minimum average sewer charge equivalent to 3000 gallons per month for all residential users.
In addition to the changes noted above, all system users will be billed a base connection fee for water and sewer even when services are turned off. This fee is currently $18.94 for sewer and $13.00 for water.
For questions related to these changes, please contact the finance office at (406) 222-1142.
Since your sewer bill is calculated by how much water goes down any drain, it’s easy to overlook some wasteful activities or habits that may be contributing to a high bill. Reducing your sewer bill is simple! Once you figure out how you use the most water in your home, it’s easier to know where to cut back. Try these simple tactics to reduce your wastewater use and save cash.
Take shorter showers
You might not realize how long you actually stand in the shower. You also might not think about how much water you use before you shower when waiting for the water to heat up! Keep a hand under the water so you’re ready to jump in as soon as it’s up to temp. Then, try setting a 5-minute timer or playing a song about 4-5 minutes long while you shower. Once the timer goes off or the song ends, shower time is over. Challenge yourself to beat the timer, and you might be surprised at how quickly you can get it done!
For extra savings, try turning the shower off while you soap up, then back on when you’re ready to rinse. It might not seem like much, but it can pay off in the long run!
Do larger laundry loads less frequently
Frequent loads of laundry can use up a lot of water, which can be especially wasteful if you’re just washing that one outfit that you really want to wear. Instead, try designating a laundry day for yourself. Pick a day of the week to gather up every loose shirt and sock, and throw them all in.
Only run your dishwasher when it’s full
If you want to reduce wastewater from your dishwasher, start by running fewer loads. Wait until you’ve used all the available space in your dishwasher to start it. The more dishes per load, the less often you need to run the dishwasher!
If you need to hand wash certain dishes, try filling up the sink instead of running the water while you scrub. Additionally, check if your dishwasher has a high-efficiency setting that uses even less water. It might make your cycle run for a bit longer, but it will save you water and money!
Check for leaks
The most common source of the water bill jump is a running or leaking toilet flapper valve. Many homeowners don’t appreciate how much water a toilet uses; the toilet valve is essentially a garden hose going at full blast, and it’s not unusual for a single running toilet to waste hundreds of dollars of water. The easiest way to check to see if your toilet flapper may be leaking is to pour a packet of kool-aid into your reservoir tank. Wait 15 minutes. If you see color leaking into the bowl, that indicates a leaking flapper valve.
For questions or concerns regarding your sewer bill, contact the City Finance Office at (406) 222-1142.
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