Sewer Credits

Sewer Credits

Calling it a “water bill” is misleading.

When municipalities provide water, they charge their customers for two services, not one. In addition to charging for the water they provide, they charge a sewage fee for the water that goes down the drain, to help finance the treatment required of waste water. Fair enough, right?

They assume what goes in equals what goes out. In other words, for every gallon of water they deliver, they’ll charge for the same gallon of waste water heading down the sewer. And, typically, the waste charges are more expensive than the delivery charges.

However, many plants lose a lot of water, so those numbers are far from equal. Most municipalities have programs in place to accommodate this loss, in the form of sewer credits. Plants which fail to take the credit allotted to them are leaving money on the table.

By calculating the quantity of water not returned via sewer, you may be able to reduce your water costs significantly. In a cooling tower, the amount of water which evaporates is often more than 70% of the total amount used in the system.

How to Reduce Water and Sewage Bills

First step: Contact your water provider. Find out if your city or county has a program for issuing sewer credits, and what information they require to apply for these credits. If you’re unsure who to call, ask your water treatment representative to assist with the local water board. Show him or her your water bill–the information will be there, as well as what you are paying.

Meters Reveal Water Lost to Evaporation

Typically, one meter monitors the makeup water to the cooling tower, and another meter monitors the blowdown from the tower. The difference between the two numbers reveals the quantity of water evaporated. You can present these meter readings to the local water authority, who should adjust the sewage component of your bill accordingly.

Next, look for meters on your cooling towers. If you have both makeup and blowdown meters, your big savings are right around the corner. If you don’t have the correct meters installed, don’t be surprised if additional City meters must be bought to gain these credits; it is worth the investment.

Benefiting from a sewer credit, year in and year out, will repay your investment quickly. Thousands of dollars can be saved annually. Keep in mind that water treatment regulations tend to increase in strictness as well as cost, reduce your water bill get sewer credits.

Chemtex is happy to walk you through the process. Give us a call: We can review your system and help provide your water authority with the data they require to save you money.