Your water use is currently on track to exceed 20,000 gallons this billing period.
If your water use continues at the current level, a drought surcharge will be assessed on water use over 20,000 gallons. The charge will appear on your next SAWS bill.
Why would I receive a surcharge?
Stage 3 drought restrictions were declared on June 25, 2024. These rules have been communicated via local newspapers, television, social media, the SAWS website and bill inserts.
The Stage 3 Drought Surcharge encourages customers to reduce water use during advanced stages of drought. It is assessed to commercial and residential accounts exceeding fixed thresholds of water use.
How much is the drought surcharge?
For single family residential accounts during Stage 3 watering rules, the drought surcharge is $10.37 per thousand gallons for any use above a threshold of 20,000 gallons in a billing period.
Estimate Your Bill
Drought rule changes in 2024 were designed to encourage compliance and stewardship of our water supplies. Exactly how much your own bill might change will depend on your household’s water use and other factors.
The Residential Rate Calculator can help you get an idea of how drought surcharge rates may affect your bill in different stages of drought.
What can I do? Can I avoid receiving a drought surcharge?
Regardless of the number of household members or the square footage of your home, the level of use that triggers a drought surcharge usually means there is either high outdoor water use or a leak.
If your use this billing period is still below the 20,000 gallon threshold, you may still be able to avoid a surcharge using these tips:
Learning how to read the water meter can help you detect some continuous leaks instantly.
Use the SAWS My Account app or visit saws.org/myaccount to review your most recent water use and look for patterns that indicate a possible leak.
- Many leaks appear in your ConnectH2O meter data as continuous hourly use.
- Scheduled outdoor irrigation, by contrast, will often recur on the same day and/or same time every week.
Learn more about detecting and addressing common household leaks, including tips on what to ask a plumber to check.
Shutting off yourautomatic irrigation controller and running it manually can help you resolve programming issues, especially if you have noticed sprinklers running at unexpected times. Remember to leave the controller in the off position after running it manually.
For very large irrigation systems, eliminating weekly schedules in non-essential areas (like shrub zones, backyard areas, side yards, etc.) can prioritize irrigation for the most important zones. Established plants and landscape beds can often be watered manually every other week or even once per month.
SAWS offers a free consultation from a licensed irrigator to check the system and assist with programming. To schedule, call 210-704-SAVE (7283).
Fix Those Leaks
If high water use is due to a leak, please repair it as soon as possible to minimize water loss and any impact to your bill. You can submit repair receipts to SAWS to review your eligibility for a leak adjustment on your bill, including a possible adjustment of the surcharge.