City Sewer Charges: Reduce Charges and Conserve Water!

The City of Plano calculates sewer charges based on a Winter Quarter Averaging Program - http://plano.gov/Departments/CUS/General_Information/Pages/sewer_rate_ed.aspx .
According to this program, my sewer rates over the following 12 months can be reduced by me conserving water during the months of Nov – March. Since this is sewer fees, it only applies to the amount of water that GOES DOWN THE DRAIN, not the amount of water that comes out of the faucets. Cool – to lower this cost, simply don’t let as much water escape through the drains and the toilets.

I don’t have a dishwasher (gasp!), so I wash dishes by hand anyway. All I have to do to reduce the sewer cost (AND recycle water) in that area is to go back to container washing (water stays in a dish bucket instead of the sink – it can then be used to water outdoor plants instead of rushing down the drain).

We both already take showers that last less than 5 minutes, so we are in good shape there.

Of course the other way to use less water (and now get a cheaper sewer rate) in the bathroom is to put a bottle filled with sand or a brick in the toilet tank. This allows the toilet to require less water to fill up.

Another win/win situation.