Why do Fort Worth water bills spike in April? Here’s what the city water department says
Fort Worth residents may be shocked by the bump in their April water bill. Some have even taken to social media to vent their frustration. The confusion revolves around the charges levied on wastewater retrieval — a charge that is calculated during the winter months of December, January and February.
“Sadly, I have been watering outdoors already so my ‘waste water’ estimate will NOT be correct for the actual amount going down the drain as waste,” a poster on a Fort Worth Nextdoor page wrote. “This could raise my waste water fee by $40-50 per month through next winter! I feel that the water dept should use the resident’s lowest month of water usage to estimate wastewater charges.”
The reason the Fort Worth Water Department uses winter months to determine how to charge consumers for wastewater is because they figure this is the time of year water is used less.
“Using less water during this time lowers your wastewater charge. Most people achieve savings during this time by watering their lawns and landscapes less, or completely turning off their irrigation system,” Fort Worth Water Department Communications Coordinator Mary Gugliuzza told the Star-Telegram. “Grass should hibernate during the cold weather and we do not want your irrigation lines to freeze and burst.”
Besides, when consumers pay their water bill depends on their billing cycle. The water department is billing different households every day of the month, Gugliuzza said.
What holds true for everyone is the receipt of their wastewater bill in April. So, why exactly do residents have to pay for wastewater?
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What is wastewater and why do we have to pay for it?
Simply put, wastewater is used water — also known as sewage. According to Wastewater digest, “Domestic wastewater originates from activities such as restroom usage, bathing, food preparation and laundry.”
So, why do residents get charged for wastewater? It costs money to clean your wastewater.
“The organic content of wastewater is made up of human feces, protein, fat, vegetable and sugar material from food preparation, as well as soaps,” according to Wastewater digest. The water gets cleaned to remove as much organic matter as possible and then is pumped back into lakes and streams.
The 2024 residential wastewater rate in Fort Worth city limits is $4.17 per cubic feet to measure volume. Rates are counted by every 100 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 748 gallons. The charge for wastewater is based on the volume of water, and the additional service fee. The service fee varies depending on how much water has been used.
My utility bill refers to drinking water. What’s the difference?
This charge is in addition to your average drinking water bill. Anything that is not wastewater, can be classified as drinking water.
So now, what is drinking water?
Drinking water, or just referred to as water, has been treated for human consumption. Unlike wastewater that has been used for other purposes and treated to be recycled.
Essentially, your water bill is the cost of getting drinking water to your home.
The volume and service fee of your water bill also varies depending on the volume present in your water meter.
Where does Fort Worth get its water?
Fort Worth gets its water from the Tarrant County Regional Water District, which draws from six local lakes.
“The West Fork system includes Lake Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth. The East Texas reservoirs are Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers. Benbrook Lake is another water source. The City of Fort Worth owns Lake Worth and Benbrook Lake is the responsibility of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers,” according to the city’s website.
To understand your water bill further, visit their website or call the Fort Worth water department office.
