HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8770INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 0-7-
C11 ,
To the Mayor and Members • the City Council May 2, 2006
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SUBJECT: BILLING CALCULATION OF RETAIL RESIDENTIAL
fs?S WASTEWATER VOLUMES (WINTER QUARTER AVERAGE)
In accordance with Ordinance No. 16624-09-2005, sanitary sewer charges for residenti
i
customers are calculated annually by averaging the amount of water used in Decembe
January and February. These months are used to determine the average water used, as th
time period provides a more accurate picture of interior water use when water consumption
not impacted by outdoor water use (irrigation, car wash, etc.). Interior water is typically th
water that will be returned to the sanitary sewer system. This process • accounting fol
residential wastewater use without a meter is called winter quarter averaging (WQA).
Customer responses to drought conditions in 2005-2006 resulted in increased interior and
outdoor water usages throughout the year. The increases make it difficult to estimate, by
standard calculation, the amount of water returned to the sanitary sewer system.
Recognizing the potential impact on sanitary sewer bills for the coming year, staff was charged
with evaluating alternatives to mitigate the impact.
Staff surveyed local water utilities to understand how similar conditions were addressed. Most
g,r Texas cities use WQA similar to Fort Worth to determine residential wastewater volumes.
Next, staff analyzed historical data to determine water use under normal weather patterns in an
attempt to isolate the wastewater component of this year's atypical usage. In the preceding
five-year period, the average WQA figure was 660 cubic feet; the current WQA is 717 cubic
feet. Therefore, reducing the WQA by 8 percent will lessen the impact of the drought for
residential customers.
An MC outlining staff's recommendation to adjust retail residential wastewater volumes will
appear on the May 9, 2006 City Council agenda. If you have questions, please contact Water
Director, Frank Crumb at 817-392-8207,
Charles R, Boswell
a -M City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS