OK, soapbox time!
OK, time for me to stand up on my soap box!
This will probably be more than you want to know, but I'm pretty passionate about this.
We moved here from Tulsa, where your sewer rate is determined based on your winter consumption (to accomodate yard watering). Houston doesn't do this, so you end up paying sewer charges for the water you put on your lawn. Makes great sense, huh?!
If you want to avoid that, you two choices:
1) install a separate yard meter. I can't remember what the consumption level has to be to offset the expense of the additional meter, but I do remember that it's exhorbitant.
or...
2) drill a water well. The $4,000 to $5,000 ballpark figures I got after talking to some water well companies on the phone blow this option away.
The City of Houston charges more than twice what I was paying for the same water usage in Tulsa, and my Tulsa bill even included garbage service!
We're a family of three also, no pool.
Our May, 2000 bill was about $70.
Looking at our 3 year history:
avg. = $ 85
high = $209 Oct '98
low = $ 37 Jan '98
median = $ 70
st. dev. = $ 44
I obtained a copy of the Houston Ordinances for water & sewer rates from Karen Phillipi w/ the City of Houston (kphilipp@pwe.ci.houston.tx.us). You can pull them up online at:
http://www.municode.com/CGI-BIN/om_isapi.dll?infobase=10123.NFO&softpage=Browse_Frame_Pg42
Look for Chapter 47, Articles II & III, of the Code of Ordinances. Particularly sections 47-61, 47-121, & 47-1001.
I build a spreadsheet that has the 1999 ordinance rates in it (still current as of 05/19/2000). I can send it to you if you'd like.
Basically, if your water consumption climbs above 12,000 gals (what I believe is minimal consumption for most families), the city really sticks it to you.
I know Tulsa's watershed project is much more mature than Houston's & it could be that the high cost of capital is working against us right now. 20 years from now, we may be paying the same $/gal rates we are now, only then inflation will have made it a lot more affordable.
I'd be willing to ask Rob Todd to look into it if anyone else is interested.
By Bartt Shelton