How do I read my Phoenix water and sewer bill?

A Phoenix water bill is built from a fixed charge plus usage charges, so part of it stays steady and part of it moves with how much water you run. The fixed piece is the monthly water service charge, and its size depends on your meter size. A standard home with a 5/8-inch meter pays a smaller service charge than a large property with a bigger meter. This charge covers the cost of having water available to your home, whether you use a little or a lot.

That service charge also includes a base water allowance, a starting amount of water built into the fixed fee before any per-unit charges kick in. In Phoenix, the base allowance is larger in summer than in winter, since households use more water during the hot months. After you pass the base allowance, you start paying tiered volume charges for each additional unit.

The third water piece is the environmental charge, a separate line that helps fund water-quality and environmental compliance programs. It has been part of the Phoenix bill structure for decades. It is usually a small line item, but it is one more reason the total is higher than just water times a single rate.

So a full Phoenix water bill adds up like this: the fixed service charge (with its base allowance), plus tiered volume charges for what you use above that allowance, plus the environmental charge, plus the sewer charge. Trash and recycling fees may also ride on the same City Services statement. Reading the bill is mostly a matter of finding each of those lines and knowing what drives it.

Tiered volume charges mean the price per unit of water climbs as you use more, and the rate itself is higher in summer to discourage peak demand. Phoenix measures water in units, where one unit equals one hundred cubic feet (CCF), or about 748 gallons. So when you see "units" on your bill, multiply by roughly 748 to picture the gallons.

The volume charge is tiered: the first block of units past your base allowance is priced lowest, and each higher tier costs more per unit. This rewards lower use and adds cost as you climb. On top of the tiers, Phoenix sets a seasonal rate. The per-unit price is higher during the summer months (roughly June through September) and lower in the cooler months. The city does this on purpose, to push back on peak summer demand when desert water supplies are most stressed.

Because both the base allowance and the per-unit rate shift by season, your summer bills can be much higher than your winter bills even if your habits barely change. A lot of that swing is yard irrigation, evaporative coolers, and pools running hard in the heat.

One important note: the actual dollar rates change as the city adjusts them, so this page does not list exact prices. To see the current numbers and run your own estimate, use the City of Phoenix Water and Sewer Rates page and its rate estimator tool, linked in the sources below.

Your Phoenix sewer charge is calculated from your winter average water use, because winter use is the city's best estimate of the water that actually goes down the drain. As the City of Phoenix puts it, "your monthly sewer charge is based on your average winter water use." The city figures that average from your January through March billing cycles, the months when almost all of your water goes to indoor uses like showers, laundry, dishes, and toilets rather than to the yard.

The logic is fair once you see it. In summer, a big share of your water soaks into the yard, fills a pool, or evaporates from a cooler, and none of that reaches the sewer system. If the city billed sewer on your summer water use, you would pay to treat wastewater you never sent down the drain. By locking the sewer charge to your winter average, Phoenix bills you for roughly the volume that truly enters the wastewater system.

This is why a habit matters: the water you use in January, February, and March sets your sewer charge for the rest of the year. If you have a running toilet or a slow leak during those months, or you are filling a pool or doing heavy irrigation in that window, your winter average can climb and lift your sewer charge for the whole next cycle. Keeping winter indoor use normal and leak-free helps keep your sewer charge in check.

Water on your Phoenix bill is measured in units of one hundred cubic feet (CCF), with each unit equal to about 748 gallons, and a sudden jump in units is one of the clearest signs of a hidden leak. Your meter counts these units, and the bill converts that count into the service, volume, environmental, and sewer charges described above.

A usage spike is the red flag. If your bill shows a sharp rise in units with no change in your routine, no new pool, no extra guests, no new irrigation, something is likely leaking. The EPA's WaterSense program reports that the average household's leaks waste nearly 9,300 gallons of water every year, and that household leaks nationwide add up to nearly 1 trillion gallons annually. A single running toilet or a slow slab leak can quietly push your units up month after month.

To check, read your usage history. Phoenix lets you view past usage through your online account, so you can compare this month to the same month last year and see whether the spike is seasonal or new. If the higher use does not line up with hotter weather or a known reason, treat it as a possible leak. The American Water Works Association notes that leaks and aging pipes waste large volumes of treated water across the country, so catching a leak early protects both your bill and the supply.

Small leaks add up fast. EPA WaterSense reports that a faucet dripping once per second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year, and that homes with the worst leaks can lose 50 gallons or more per day. On your bill, a steady leak shows up as a slow climb in units that does not track the weather. A leak during the winter months is the worst kind for your wallet, because it inflates the January through March average that sets your sewer charge for the whole year.

If you suspect a leak, a simple meter test confirms it: shut off all water in the home, then watch the meter's flow indicator or dial. If it keeps moving with everything off, water is escaping somewhere. From there you can narrow it down. See our guides on a high water bill with no visible leak and how to do a water meter leak test for step-by-step checks before you call a plumber.

You can see your full usage history and the live rate schedule through your City of Phoenix Water Services account and the city's rate pages, which is the right move since the dollar amounts change over time. Your online account shows month-by-month usage in units, so you can track trends, confirm a suspected spike, and watch your winter (January through March) average that sets your sewer charge.

For pricing, go to the City of Phoenix Water and Sewer Rates page rather than relying on any figure you read elsewhere. The city updates rates periodically, and it offers a rate estimator that lets you plug in your meter size and expected usage to forecast a bill. Because the seasonal volume rate and the base allowance both shift between summer and winter, the estimator is the most reliable way to see what a given level of use will cost you in a given month.

A few simple habits keep your bill predictable. Watch your winter use closely, since it drives sewer charges all year. Compare each bill to the same month a year earlier, not to last month, so seasonal swings do not fool you. Fix small leaks fast, especially in winter. And if a number looks wrong, check usage history first, then run a quick meter test before you assume the worst.

It also helps to know who bills you. Your drinking water and sewer come from the City of Phoenix. A separate provider may deliver raw irrigation water to some yards, and that is a different bill. If you are not sure which is which, see our explainer on SRP versus city water in Phoenix, since that affects which statement you are even reading. Knowing the parts of the City Services bill, and knowing that winter use sets your sewer charge, puts you in control of the number at the bottom.