It is always a good idea to check your bill on a regular basis - even if you have automatic withdrawals or e-bills.
Water bills vary from community to community so you should contact your local water utility provider for more detailed information. However, most water bills in Alberta have two main components: a fixed fee component and a variable amount based on how much water you consume - as measured by a water meter.
Charges on your water bill
Three main charges can make up your water bill: water, wastewater and drainage.
Fixed fees include:
- basic monthly water service charges for the cost and maintenance of your water meter, as well as for the costs of reading the meter monthly and issuing your bill;
- basic monthly wastewater service charges for the wastewater treatment services which is the cost to treat sanitary sewer water;
- basic monthly drainage service charges covering the cost of maintaining the sanitary sewer and the stormwater system; and
- stormwater charges for collecting the unmetered water (rainwater or melted snow) that flows off your property into the sewer system.
Variable fees include:
- cost of water (or basic service charge) used based on your water consumption. It covers the cost of drawing water from the water source, treating, pumping and delivering the water to your house. The average urban household uses 15.1 cubic metres of water each month.
- wastewater charge based on the amount of water consumed by your household each month; and
- sanitary drainage charges for the cost of collecting and treating the wastewater on the amount of water consumed by your household each month.