1. Finance Department Environmental Services
Superior Water Light & Power
City of Superior
Finance Department
Environmental Services
Wastewater Billing

2. Wastewater Billing
Since July of 1995, Superior Water Light and Power (SWL&P) has been including charges for municipal sewage service on customer’s monthly utility bills. This billing service has been provided, for a cost, as a convenience to customers and the City.

3. Wastewater Billing
Beginning in January 2014, City sewage bills will no longer be sent from SWL&P as part of their monthly utility bill.

4. Wastewater Billing
Discontinuing billing for sewage service was a business decision by SWL&P based on a number of factors
Upcoming changes to customer information and billing system
Review of the resources and time required to manage the sewage billing process.
Data they will provide:
Premise ID
Premise address
Usage
Reading type
Data they will NOT provide:
Tenant information
Meter numbers
Actual readings
Read dates

5. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Cost and staffing limitations require the City to limit billing to a quarterly basis, rather than monthly. Monthly billing would require a rate increase.

6. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Sewage bills will be generated by the City on a quarterly basis. The first bill will arrive in April This bill will include charges for the months of January, February and March.

7. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Subsequent bills will be sent in July, including charges for April, May and June;

8. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
in October for July, August and September;

9. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
and January of 2015 for October, November and December 2014.

10. How Will this Affect the Average Bill?
Sewage rate 1/1/2014 is $5.50 fixed fee plus $7.71/unit
For a family of 4 that uses 10 units/month
250 gallons per day
This would mean a monthly bill of $82.60
$ units x $7.71/unit
The quarterly bill would be $247.80
$82.60 x 3

11. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Residential Rental Properties
SWL&P can only provide the City with usage data by address; they cannot provide their customer names due to consumer privacy requirements.
The City will bill property owners, not tenants.
The City will NOT be able to bill tenants, even if owners were to provide written authorization.

12. Wastewater Bills for Rental Property
The information that will be included on each sewage bill:
Property address, including the apartment #, if there are separate meters for each apartment
The monthly usage
The variable fee and fixed fee per month
The total monthly fee
The reading type
The total amount due

13. Example Bill for Rental Property 4-Plex
Address
Units of Usage
Variable $7.71/unit
Fixed Fee
Total Monthly fee
Reading
1234 Anywhere St. Apt 1 4
$30.84
$5.50
$36.34
Estimate
Actual 3
$23.13
$28.63
1234 Anywhere St. Apt 2 7
$53.97
$59.47
1234 Anywhere St. Apt 3 9
$69.39
$74.89 10
$77.10
$82.60
1234 Anywhere St. Apt 4
Total
$605.70
Late charges
$0.00
Amount Due

14. Wastewater Bills for Rental Property
Beginning in January, landlords can request the most recent twelve-month water use history for a rental unit.
The request must be made by leaving a phone message on a dedicated phone line or through the SWL&P website.
Requests will be processed and responded to through or U. S. mail.  
Resource availability precludes SWL&P from supplying information directly over the phone.

15. 12-Month History from SWL&P
Usage
Month
Date range 6
Jan
12/21/2012
1/20/2013 5
Feb
1/21/2013
2/20/2013
Mar
2/21/2013
3/20/2013
Apr
3/21/2013
4/20/2013 7
May
4/21/2013
5/20/2013
Jun
5/21/2013
6/20/2013
Jul
6/21/2013
7/20/2013
Aug
7/21/2013
8/20/2013
Sep
8/21/2013
9/20/2013
Oct
9/21/2013
10/20/2013
Nov
10/21/2013
11/20/2013
Dec
11/21/2013
12/20/2013

16. 12-Month History from SWL&P
Usage
Month
Date range 5
Feb
1/21/2013
2/20/2013
Mar
2/21/2013
3/20/2013 6
Apr
3/21/2013
4/20/2013 7
May
4/21/2013
5/20/2013
Jun
5/21/2013
6/20/2013
Jul
6/21/2013
7/20/2013
Aug
7/21/2013
8/20/2013
Sep
8/21/2013
9/20/2013
Oct
9/21/2013
10/20/2013
Nov
10/21/2013
11/20/2013
Dec
11/21/2013
12/20/2013 4
Jan
12/21/2013
1/10/2014

17. Suppose it’s Mar 10, 2014 The Jan 2014 bill covered Oct – Dec.
Meters are read on the 21st of each month.
Therefore the sewage owing would need to include:
The Jan reading for 12/22/13 – 1/21/14 6 units
Feb reading for 1/22/14 – 2/21/14 7 units
A March final reading: 2/22-3/10 4 units
By requesting a 12-month history on 3/11/14 you will see these amounts and can calculate the sewage owing
17 units x 7.71 = (5.50 x 3) =

18. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Commercial properties:
With written authorization, similar to that required for stormwater billing, sewage bills can be sent to the local facility instead of a corporate office.

19. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Bill Consolidation
The City will work with property owners to provide bills listing their properties in a manner that best suits their needs, if at all possible.
Using the same software for wastewater and stormwater billing may mean if Stormwater bills are consolidated, the same consolidation scheme will need to be used for wastewater.

20. Wastewater Quarterly Billing
Questions?
Dan Zuchowski
Assistance Finance Director
City of Superior
Superior Water Light & Power
Diane Nelson
Dan Zuchowski
Stormwater and
Administrative Manager
Assistant Finance Director
Customer Service Center