Wastewater Averaging: What Is It & Why Should I Care?

If you live in Central Texas, you may have heard the term wastewater averaging from your utility company — but many homeowners aren’t quite sure what it means or why it matters. The short explanation? It can directly impact how much you pay each month.

What is Wastewater Averaging?

Your sewer bill isn’t measured by how much wastewater you actually send down the drain. Instead, utility companies estimate your wastewater use based on how much water you use during a specific period — typically the winter months.

The logic behind this is simple:
In winter, most water usage goes indoors (showers, sinks, laundry), which truly becomes wastewater. Summer water use includes outdoor activities like watering lawns or filling pools — which doesn’t enter the sewer system.

So utilities take your average water usage from winter and use it to set your sewer billing rate for the entire next year.

Why should you care?

Because conserving water during those months can significantly lower your utility costs all year long. A small effort to reduce winter water use—fixing leaks, shorter showers, efficient laundry loads—can have a big payoff later.