Does the water and sewage always come in the same bill?
I am moving to a new apartment. The land lord said that he will be covering the water expenses but he did not mention the sewage. Does the water and sewage always come in the same bill? In other words when he said he will be covering the water expenses it automatically mean that he is responsible for the sewage too?
Usually they are the same bill. (Check with your municipality.)
The reason for this is simple: it is hard to attach a meter to the sewer line to see how much you’re using it. Except for watering lawns and filling pools, sewer use tends to be proportional to water use. When you shower or bathe, wash dishes, brush teeth, or use the toilet the (metered) water goes down the (unmetered) drain.
its not always the case, but most times it does come in the same bill
Call your City Hall or County Courthouse, ask for the water sewage department. This way you can give them your address and you may be able to get a history of what the charges for services were in the past.
Depending on where you live you could be part of a water association, a local well and lots of various methods that bring water to your home. Even garbage is paid differently (i.e. Washington State it is a private company that provides the service and in Florida it is part of your property tax.
Sewer and water are usually considered bills that are attached to the home and many people who rent places pay these bills and included it in your rent bill because if you don’t pay it… they have to because it goes against their title of ownership.
You can not ask someone that lives in your town because many cities have more than one billing method going based on years installed and if they have upgraded the services in that part of town etc. Neighbors can also have different ways they are billed. SO GO by the address and what applies to that particular rental.
You should clear that point IN WRITING with your landlord. Almost all city water/sewer systems combine the residential water, sewer and trash collection into a single bill.
In Phoenix, the sewer rate is based upon water usage during Jan, Feb and Mar. Lawns (largest outdoor use of water) are not generally watered at that time of year, so almost all of the water that comes into the house, goes back out as sewage.
Now, if you draw your water from a well, then the municipality or county will probably assess a fixed sewer and trash collection fee based upon some factor like house size or number of people living in the home. The science of statistical analysis to set your rate is very accurate overall, but maybe not to your specific situation.