City Home Rules

Phoenix, AZ: how summer watering affects your sewer bill

Arizona · Last checked November 2026

Winter average, no meter needed

Phoenix bases the monthly sewer charge on a percentage of your average January to March water use, recalculated each July. Single-family homes are billed on 80 percent of that average.

Key facts

Averaging period
January through March bills.
Share billed
80 percent for single-family homes.
Reset
New charge each July.

Do you need a deduct meter here?

Usually not. Because residential sewer is based on winter water use, summer irrigation does not raise the sewer charge. A deduct meter would add cost without much saving. Keep winter water use low to keep the sewer charge low.

Need a licensed plumber in Phoenix?

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.