Understanding Your Sewer Bill

This does not apply to consumers on well water, see Residences on Sewer and Private Well

Sewer fees are based on your last year’s water use. For instance, your 2023 sewer bill is calculated using your 2022 water meter readings obtained from New Jersey American Water Company. An example follows using rates from the Montgomery Township Sewer and Water Code:

• $276.00 base fee per unit (2023), plus
• $14.79 per 1,000 gallons ($11.06 per CCF [centum cubic feet]) of water used, calculated from the lesser of:
  • Annual Formula: sum of usage in all 12 calendar months, or
  • Winter Formula: sum of usage in Jan + Feb + Mar + Apr + Nov + Dec, multiplied by 2

(Base fees and rates are subject to change from time to time by Ordinance. 2023 fee and rates are shown. View Historical Sewer Rates.)

Say this was your last year's water bill usage:

(bolded months above denote months used in Winter Formula below)

Using Annual Formula: 4 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 13 + 11 + 11 + 12 + 18 + 6 + 7 + 4 = 100 (100,000 gallons)

Using Winter Formula: 2 x (4 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 4) = 58 (58,000 gallons)

The annual water usage is 100,000 gallons, whereas the winter usage yields only 58,000 gallons. Montgomery takes the lesser of the two usages to determine the bill:

base fee + ($14.79 x lesser of gallons used/1000 gallons)

Therefore:

$276.00 + [$14.79 x (58,000 gallons used / 1000 gallons)] = $1,133.82

If we used the Annual Formula in this case, the bill would have been $1,755.00 vs. $1,133.82 using the Winter Formula. That is $621.18 in savings. You can calculate your 2023 fee by downloading our 2023 Sewer Fee Excel Calculator (an Excel Spreadsheet).

Winter Use

The winter-only formula uses water use from your January, February, March, April, November, and December New Jersey American Water Company water bill. It is important to note that, for example, the November bill includes October water use. This is why it is important to winterize the system by mid-October. This is from a sample November bill (actual dates may vary):

Sample Billing Period and Meter Readings:

• Billing Date: November 9
• Due Date: December 1
• Billing Period: October 11 to November 7 (28 Days)
• Next Reading on or about: December 8
• Customer Type: Residential

Questions?

Do you have questions about your bill calculation that is explained here? Please contact the Finance Department at (908) 359-8211 ext. 2223.