Water / Sewer Rates

Monthly Rates and Charges, Residential Equivalent Unit Base Charges and Tap Fees

Garden City sets the utility rates annually within the City's Fee Schedule.  The water and sewer charges are comprised of a base charge and a volume usage charge.  The base charge is assessed depending on the area in which you receive services (ie. inside City, outside City, Town Center System, or Prosperity System) and the number of Residential Equivalent Units (REU) imposed for your account.  An REU is the portion of a user's facility that has an impact on the water and wastewater system equivalent to a single-family residence.  Peak water consumption of three hundred (300) gallons per day or a floor space of three thousand (3,000) square feet shall be the equivalent of one (1) REU.

The volume usage charge is the amount of water that flows through the meter each month.  The sewer portion of the bill is calculated on the same amount of water flow.  Meters are read monthly, and the difference between the current and previous readings is the usage billed.  Most water meters in the City display their readings in cubic feet, which is converted to gallons during billing.  To manually calculate the gallons, take the difference in readings and multiply the number by 7.48.

• Residential Equivalent Unit(PDF, 16KB)
• Water and Sewer Rate Ordinance(PDF, 810KB)

A residential equivalent unit is that portion of a user's facility that has an impact on the water and wastewater system equivalent to a single-family residence. Peak water consumption of three hundred (300) gallons per day or a floor space of three thousand (3,000) square feet shall be the equivalent of one (1) residential unit (REU).