The Greene County Sanitary Engineering Department renders a monthly bill for sewer and/or water usage to all customers served by the Greene County Systems.  Since meters are read only every three months, the first two monthly bills in each three months, or quarterly cycle, are for a minimum amount only.  The bill rendered after the actual meter reading is taken represents the actual usage for the entire quarterly period, less the monthly minimum amounts billed.  The following table shows how this works for customers on a 5/8 inch meter (the normal residential size.)

Example:  Let's say a customer, upon reading the meter, has used 6,000 gallons in a one-month period.  The bill for actual usage would be for $80.35 computed as follows:

Sewer: Monthly minimum charge (3,000 gals.)                $23.83

Plus: 3,000 gals. (6,000 less 3,000 in monthly minimum

at $7.45 per 1,000 gals.                                                      $22.35

Water: Monthly minimum charge (1,000 gals.)                  $12.62

Plus 5,000 gals. (6,000 less 1,000 in monthly minimum

at $4.31 per 1,000 gals.                                                        $21.55

                                                                                                  $80.35

Water only customers would be billed for only the water charges.  Sewer only customers will be billed at a flat rate of $61.64 per month unless a meter is installed to measure usage.

§ Greene County Sanitary Engineering offers a level billing program that allows you to budget for your billings during the year into even payments for eleven months, based on historical usage.

§ You may level your own bill by sending more than the minimum billings per month.  The excess received on your account will carry forward as a credit on your account and be applied to the actual quarterly billing in the third month.

Why am I billed this way?

Our Department reads thousands of meters each month, even through they represent only about one-third of our customer base each month.  The rotation then begins again each quarter.  In order to read all customer meters every month, we would have to increase our meter reading staff as well as add vehicles and equipment.  We have elected not to incur the extra expense of such an undertaking, and, instead, facilitate the cash flow needs with the monthly minimum billings. 

The County is gradually replacing the manual read meters with remote read meters that will eventually reduce the amount of time it takes to read the meters and ultimately allow the County to read all meters on a monthly basis.