Frequently Asked Questions

In November 2024, the Oklahoma City Council approved a five-year rate adjustment program for all water, sewer, and solid waste (trash and recycling) services. The rates go into effect beginning January 1, 2025.

1. Why are rates being adjusted?

Like many utilities, the cost of providing water, sewer, and trash services has gone up significantly in recent years. Some of these cost increases include:

• 85% increase in electricity costs
• 155% increase in water treatment chemicals
• 37% increase in labor costs
• 31% increase in construction and materials
• Higher interest rates for financing infrastructure projects

These rising costs make it necessary to update rates so we can complete important projects to meet growing demand. If we delay these projects, future rate increases could be even higher.

2. Why now, especially with everything else going up? 

Per Oklahoma State law, utilities must conduct a cost analysis of the services provided (known as a Cost-of-Service study) about every four to five years to ensure the fees we charge are sufficient to cover our operational and infrastructure needs. This analysis also examines the rates we charge to each customer group based on the services they are provided. Adjustments are made to ensure rate equity among varying customer classes so all customers are charged appropriately for the services they use. 

We are prohibited from charging more than what it takes to cover our operational and capital expenses.

3. How are rates decided?

The Oklahoma City Utilities Department works with experts to determine rates based on the cost of delivering services to each customer group (residential versus multi-family or commercial, inside OKC versus outside OKC, etc.). Rates are adjusted slowly over five years to minimize the impact on customers. Those who use water only for indoor needs will see smaller increases compared to higher water users who use more water in the summer months for outdoor watering or irrigation.

4. How will this affect my bill? 

You can see how this might affect your individual bill by looking at our rate tables and then bill samples so see how we charge for both base fees (basic metering) and volume fees (individual water or wastewater use). 

5. What are some of the infrastructure improvements I hear about, and why are they needed? 

Improving our infrastructure is necessary to ensure reliable service and meet future water demand. We manage more than 7,000 miles of water and wastewater pipes and operate two treatment facilities and four wastewater treatment facilities. Our water supply consists of seven surface reservoirs that span 250 miles from northwest to southeast Oklahoma.

Planned system improvements include:

• Completion of the second Atoka pipeline, a 100-mile line that will transport additional allocated water supply from southeast Oklahoma to the Draper Reservoir for treatment.
• New pipelines creating a direct connection between the Hefner and Draper water treatment systems to provide continuity of service in the event of a water plant outage. 
• Major upgrades to water and wastewater treatment plants for improved efficiency and increased treatment capacity
• Replacing aging neighborhood water and sewer lines

6. I may have a hard time with these new rates. 

We understand emergencies and financial hardships can happen and offer the following customer assistance programs to help: 

• Bill averaging for customers whose bills fluctuate between the winter/spring and summer months
• A reduced solid waste services rate for customers who qualify under the Federal poverty rate guidelines
• Bill assistance programs to help folks who may miss a payment
• We partner with the Salvation Army and other outside agencies to help customers with their water bill needs.

7. I use more water in the summer. Why am I being charged more? 

Indoor water use for personal hygiene, cooking, laundry, dishes and similar tasks is critical for human health and safety. We minimize adjustments to customers who use water primarily for indoor use since these uses are necessary for day-to-day living. Summer activities like watering lawns and filling pools are discretionary in nature and put increased demand on our system.

8. I use more than 20,000 gallons in the summer. What can I do to help lower my water bill? 
Our water conservation team offers many ideas on how you can save water, especially outdoors. Visit squeezeeverydrop.com to learn what watering habits you can change that will help you lower your bill.

Common causes of high bills include:

• Toilet leaks. Toilet leaks, especially silent leaks, can add thousands of gallons to your water bill. Check your toilets for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring into your toilet tank, then wait a few minutes without flushing. If color shows up in the bowl, try adjusting or replacing the flapper. This can also happen with new toilets and flappers.
• Check your sprinkler system. Turn on each zone and look for broken heads, water spraying into the street or sidewalk, or excessive runtimes on your controller. Also look for leaks at your valve box, backflow device, and signs of underground leaks such as puddling or mushy ground. 
• Sprinkler systems use between 15 and 30 gallons of water every minute. Check out our free sprinkler check-up guide to make sure you're using water efficiently. 
• Know how much water your grass needs. Most local lawn grasses, including Bermuda and Zoisia, do not need more than 1” of water per week. Check our watering chart on squeezeeverydrop.com to see how much water your lawn needs, and get tips on how to water efficiently.
• Check your swimming pool or garden pond. Look around the pump or autofill valve to ensure they are not leaking.
• Reduce your sewer charge. Save money by turning sprinklers off during the winter. Your sewer charge is based upon the average amount of water billed in December, January, and February. This average caps the monthly sewer charge for the billing year, beginning in April. Lowering your winter period water use, especially for outdoor watering, can significantly reduce your bill.

 10. What about the changes to the EPA / Stormwater Drainage fee? 

The Oklahoma City Public Works Department manages the City's stormwater program, which collects stormwater via a system of drainage canals and tributaries for flood control and other purposes. They also provide public education and outreach, including the Curbs-to-Creeks program, among others, and operate the City's Household Hazardous Waste facility.

What is the Stormwater Drainage Fee? The Stormwater Drainage Fee (** Fee Due to Unfunded EPA Mandate**) helps the City meet the mandates as set by the Federal Clean Water Act. It was approved by Oklahoma City Council in 1995 to help the Public Works Department test and monitor stormwater runoff, ensure the durability of our stormwater infrastructure, and reduce pollution from stormwater that enters area streams and waterways.

Who pays the Stormwater Drainage Utility Fee? All Oklahoma City residents and businesses pay Stormwater Drainage Utility Fee.

What programs and services does the Storm Water Utility Fee fund?  The fee funds multiple programs that are managed by the Public Works Department. These include environmental code monitoring and enforcement, emergency response, engineering and infrastructure improvements to our stormwater system, Oklahoma River maintenance and trash reduction, and the City’s Household Hazardous Collection facility, which is open to the public. 

Why is the Storm Water Utility Fee increase needed?  Increased costs in labor and supplies have caused a need to increase the fees so the Public Works Department can maintain the program at its current levels. This is the first change to the Storm Water Drainage fee since 2014. The new fee schedule is available on the same page as the Utilities Rates & Fees.