City Home Rules

Sewer deduct meter rules in East Providence, RI

Rhode Island · Last checked November 2026

Deduct meter allowed

East Providence allows a sewer deduct meter installed by a licensed plumber with a city permit. Using one gives up the 3,500 cubic foot annual sewer exemption.

Key facts

Install
Licensed plumber and a city plumbing permit; owner pays the meter and installation.
Credit starts
Only after the plumbing inspector approves it.
Trade-off
You lose the 3,500 cubic foot annual sewer charge exemption.

Is a deduct meter worth it?

It depends on how much you water and your sewer rate. Run the savings calculator with your summer usage.

Need a licensed plumber in East Providence?

Get quotes from independent local pros who do this work. Free, no obligation.

What do you need?

How it works

Sewer charges are usually based on how much water passes through your water meter, even though lawn and pool water never reaches the sewer. Some utilities let you install a second meter, called a deduct or irrigation meter, so that outdoor water is not billed as sewer. Others already solve it by basing summer sewer charges on winter water use, so no meter is needed.

  1. Check your bill: if sewer is based on a winter average, you already avoid most summer sewer charges.
  2. If not, ask the utility whether it allows a deduct or irrigation meter and what it charges.
  3. Hire a licensed plumber and pull the permit. Many utilities also require a backflow preventer.
  4. Credits usually start only after the utility inspects and registers the meter, never retroactively.

What it costs

Installation by a licensed plumber often runs several hundred to over a thousand dollars, plus any utility fees. Use the calculator below to see how fast it pays back.

Compare other cities

Sources

Last checked November 2026. Programs open, close and change funding every year. Confirm with the city before you hire anyone. Report a change.