In this occasional series, we try to inject some facts into wild and woolly rumors which float through town and social media. Following the delivery of January’s utility bills, there have been questions as to why some people have seen higher bills and speculation that rates have increased again. So we want to explain why some bills may be higher.
Rumor: The Town has raised water, sewer, and stormwater rates again.
The Town sets its billing rates for water, sewer, and stormwater for the year in conjunction with approving its annual budget. Bridgewater operates on a fiscal year that runs July through June. So the rate increase takes effect in July. No rate increase has taken place since then.
How are the rate increases determined?
The Town increases its utility rates in accordance with the rate of inflation for utilities as determined by the Department of Labor. For the July 2025-June 2026 fiscal year, that increase was 5.22%. This year’s rates are posted on our website.
I use roughly the same amount of water each month. Why would the amount I am charged change from month to month?
There are a few reasons why your billed amount may fluctuate over time even with steady usage.
Summer Sewer Break: People use water for different purposes in different seasons. People often use water for outdoor purposes in the summer (watering gardens and lawns, washing cars, etc.). This is water that enters the ground rather than the sewer system. For this reason, we cap your summer usage for sewer fees at your winter usage levels. This may result in a lower bill relative to water usage through October, with the year’s inflationary increase more noticeable in November.
Billing Period: The billing period generally runs from the 15th of the month to the 15th of the next. Due to weekends, the billing period may shift by a day or two, but meters are typically read as close to the 15th as possible. With that said, water usage can vary depending on when the 15th falls. For instance, the November 15-December 15 billing period reflected on the January bill includes 5 weekends rather than the usual 4. Many families use more water on the weekends, so an additional weekend means more water used for that period.
Method of Billing: Bills may vary month to month due to the fact that we bill by the thousands of gallons used. The amount listed in the “Current Usage” box on your bill represents how many thousands of gallons you are being billed for. Any gallons over the thousands mark are carried over to the next month’s usage. For instance, let’s say you use 1,400 gallons each month. The information below shows how you would be billed each month. (Please note that, when we read the meter, we are only reading the number in bold.)
- Month 1 – 1,400 gallons – Meter reads 1,400: 1-0 = 1 usage, so you are billed for 1,000 gallons (400 gallons unbilled)
- Month 2 – 1,400 gallons – Meter now reads 2,800: 2-1 = 1 usage so you are billed for 1,000 gallons (400 gallons unbilled)
- Month 3 – 1,400 gallons – Meter now reads 4,200: 4-2 = 2 usage, so you are billed for 2,000 gallons (200 gallons still unbilled)
By billing this way, we are always rounding your cumulative water usage down to the nearest thousand.
Errors or Leaks: It is possible that your bill reflects an error in reading the meter or increased water consumption due to a leak. If your Current Usage increases beyond typical fluctuations, we are here to help. We can re-read your meter to ensure that an error has not occurred (this is a very rare occurrence now that we have moved to radio-read meters). We can send out a crew to help determine if there is a leak (this is a more common issue in the winter when the heaving of the ground can damage underground pipes). We also monitor water usage regularly to help detect leaks as early as possible and avoid surprise bills.
If you have any further questions about your utility bill, please feel free to call the Treasurer’s Office at (540) 908-3399.