Overview
On December 8, the Princeton City Council is scheduled to vote on Ordinance 2025-12-08-13.
If adopted, the ordinance would change how the city calculates residential sewer bills by introducing winter quarter averaging.
For readers who want the short version, see “Quick Read” at the end.
What This Means in Plain Language
Under the proposed ordinance, winter quarter averaging would use a household’s average water use in December, January, and February to determine the wastewater portion of the bill for the rest of the year.
Instead of following peak summer usage, sewer billing would be tied more closely to winter indoor water use.
Winter water use tends to reflect water that actually goes down household drains, while much of the additional summer water is used for irrigation and landscaping.
Step-by-Step for a Typical Home
• Residents would still pay a monthly base sewer fee.
• Until a winter average is established, the sewer volume would equal that month’s metered water use, but never exceed 10,000 gallons.
• Once the winter quarter average is calculated, the city would use that average as the sewer volume for future billing, subject to the same 10,000-gallon cap.
This approach attempts to align sewer charges with indoor wastewater use rather than outdoor watering patterns.
Who This Could Help
If adopted, winter quarter averaging would mainly benefit:
• Households that water lawns or landscaping heavily in summer
• Larger households whose summer water use is high but winter indoor use is moderate
For these residents, sewer bills could become more stable and better aligned with actual indoor usage.
Residents whose winter water use is already high may see little change in their monthly sewer costs.
What City Staff Warned About
City staff have told Council that winter quarter averaging is a significant financial decision for the wastewater utility fund.
Sewer rates help pay for:
• Treatment through the North Texas Municipal Water District
• Daily operations and system maintenance
• Repairs and infrastructure expansion as Princeton continues growing
Changing the billing formula could affect future rate studies, project planning timelines, and long-term fund stability.
Staff also noted that once the billing structure is implemented in the city’s software systems, reversing it later can be complicated.
What Residents Should Do If It Passes
If winter quarter averaging is adopted, Princeton sewer customers should treat December, January, and February as key billing months.
Residents may want to:
• Monitor water use carefully during those months
• Fix leaks quickly
• Avoid unnecessary water waste
• Keep winter bills for reference
If a leak or one-time emergency causes unusually high water use during one of those months, residents should contact Utility Billing quickly and document the issue, since a single spike could affect the average used for the entire year.
Quick Read
Princeton City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting winter quarter averaging for sewer billing. If approved, residential sewer charges would be based on average water use during December, January, and February instead of peak summer usage, with sewer volume still capped at 10,000 gallons per month. Until a winter average is established, sewer charges would follow actual metered water use up to the same cap. The change could reduce bills for households with heavy summer irrigation but also affects the wastewater utility fund and long-term infrastructure planning. If adopted, residents should pay close attention to water use and leaks during the winter months, since those three months will determine sewer billing for the rest of the year.
Image credit: KERA News / keranews.org
