Contact Waste Connections at 892-5370 or 892-9594 to request recycling bins or to sign up for the yard debris program.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is residential sewer billing changing?

In the past, the City billed residential sewer as a flat rate, which was based on the average demand each customer placed on the existing system. In order to allow each customer to pay a more accurate share for their use of the system, the City has implemented sewer billing that is directly affected by water use.

Sewer rates will now be billed based on water consumption at your residence during winter months. The amount of water you use during the winter will be billed directly for both water and sewer. During the remaining months of the year, sewer consumption will be based on your meter reads from the January and March bills, which is water use from November through February. Although there will also still be a monthly flat fee, the City has significantly reduced the amount.

Why isn’t the City strictly billing on water use, why is there a flat rate too?
Regardless of consumption, each sewer customer creates a need for maintenance of the system simply by being connected. The flat fee for sewer is designed to cover the cost of maintenance and improvements of the sewer system, which is present even in the absence of use at your residence.

What if I water during the summer?
The City recognizes that summertime watering of lawns and gardens does not create a greater demand upon the sewer system, and has adjusted accordingly. Customers will only pay for direct use during winter months. The remainder of the year, sewer billing will be based on the average water use for the non-watering months. This billing structure was designed so that customers do not pay sewer charges for water that does not enter the sewer system.

What if I have a leak, will it affect my sewer charges?
The City has an existing water leak credit process that will now also credit sewer charges to a customer for leaks occurring between November and February. Credit for the water portion of your bill is still subject to the requirements listed in RCW 13.44.030. Leaks occurring between March and October will not affect sewer charges.

What if I have a leak during the winter when my average is calculated?
Leaks that occur between November and February will affect the winter average that the City uses for billing in the remainder of the year. To avoid having an abnormally high winter average, customers who have had a leak may apply to the Finance Department for an adjustment to their winter average. Even customers whose leaks did not meet the criteria for a credit to their bill could still be eligible for this winter average adjustment. Customers must submit proof that a leak occurred and was fixed in a timely manner to qualify for an adjustment.

What if I have no water use during the winter because I’m a snowbird, or the water was turned off?
If a customer has no prior winter water use from which to calculate an average, the customer will default to the average as set by City Council, which is 13 units in a 2-month billing cycle. This is to avoid a customer paying for no sewer use during the summer because they used no water during the winter. Although we would like to have an accurate winter average for every customer, there has to be a method for billing snowbirds who occupy during the summer but not the winter when the average is obtained.

What if I have no billing history because I just bought the home?
In the absence of water use history, new owners will revert to the 13 unit default average for a 2-month billing cycle as set by City Council. New owners will not have their water use based on use by the prior owner of the property. Until the City is able to calculate a winter average from water use, it must at a minimum bill a default average to cover use of the sewer system by the new residents.

What if I use a lot of water at my residence?
Customers who are large water consumers will see direct increases in their sewer billing. The greater your use of water, the more burden your residence places upon the sewer system, and thus the greater is your portion of sewer maintenance and operations. As always, the City strongly encourages water conservation, and those users who conserve will directly lower their bill through both water and sewer charges.