Cedar Park Identifies 3 Causes of Recent Spike in High Water Bills

After floods of complaints from Cedar Park residents came in earlier this month saying their water bills had suddenly skyrocketed, city officials have been investigating the problem.

“The city takes your concerns seriously, and has therefore been investigating possible causes of these higher-than-expected bills. After a thorough analysis of water usage patterns and historical trends, along with studying the entire water utility system to look for possible meter reporting and billing errors, including potential software issues, the data shows that reporting and billing systems are fully functioning, and water usage increased significantly in late summer,” the city said in a statement to residents.

They say they’ve identified three main causes of the spike in water bills -- weather conditions, increased customer demand and usage, and a tiered water rate system.

“Outdoor water usage is the single biggest demand for water each summer. We know this because each year water usage closely follows weather patterns: when weather conditions turn hot and dry, water demand significantly goes up – not likely from uses inside of the home but more likely from lawn irrigation and other outdoor uses. Compared to the last five years, summer usage levels we are now seeing are not out-of-the norm. What is different this year is the weather pattern leading into this summer: a mild, wet May and June, followed by 75 consecutive dry days with 100-plus temperatures,” city officials said.

This chart shows a historical pattern that when rainfall decreases, water consumption increases. It also shows similar high levels of water during no-rainfall periods in past years, to the high level we are now seeing.

“The city’s water plant and system is demand-based, meaning the amount of water treated and delivered is a direct result of what is demanded by users. This chart shows that water consumption typically rises during the summer months, but that this past August, Cedar Park’s overall demand for water almost doubled. This drastic increase is most likely the result of hot, dry conditions that resulted in more use of outdoor irrigation – among other water uses,” officials said.

“Cedar Park, like most other Texas water utilities, uses tiered pricing for water in which the price increases as individual water consumption increases. This chart shows that more than 40 percent of customers used more than 15,000 gallons of water in August – pushing them into Tier 3 pricing which is approximately a 20 percent increase from Tier 2.Comparatively speaking, only 7 percent of customers entered Tier 3 pricing during the wetter, milder month of June,” they said.

On Thursday, several city officials will be available from 5 to 8 p.m. at City Hall Campus, located at 450 Cypress Creek Road in Building 3’s Multipurpose Room. There will be a presentation at 6 p.m.

They will have representatives on hand from Utility Billing, Meters, Water Conservation, Accounting, Utility Systems Engineering and City Manager’s Office, as well as licensed irrigators.

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