Rates and Fees

The El Paso Water Public Service Board annually sets rates and fees to maintain high quality water, wastewater, reclaimed and stormwater services.

As a public water system, El Paso Water does not profit from rates or fees.

The utility works to keep rates down through programs to manage costs and increase efficiencies as well as through pursuit of outside revenue sources, such as land sales and grants.


Monthly Minimum Water Rates

The following rates are effective with meter readings taken after February 29, 2024.

Monthly minimum charges for water service, based on size of meter with a 5CCF's volume allowance:

Meter Size Minimum Monthly Bill*
Less than 1" $9.86
1 $15.37
1 1/2"  $26.36
2" $31.72
3" $63.34
4" $94.55
6" $143.33
8" $245.52

Charges for water service are based on the customer's average winter consumption (AWC), which is the average of the amount of water used during the previous December, January, and February billings. (Customers who have not established an AWC are assigned an AWC based on meter size for their classification.) Up to 500 cubic feet (CCF) are included in the minimum charge for residential customers.

Block Charge per CCF* Volume Charge
1 $3.19 Over 5 CCF-150% of AWC
2 $7.54 Over 150%-250% of AWC
3 $10.78 Over 250% of AWC

Non-residential customer rates do not include 500 cubic feet allotment in minimum monthly charges.

Average Winter Consumption (AWC) is the average amount of water used during the most recent, December, January and February billing periods. Any customer that at the time of service has not established an AWC will be assigned the class average AWC by meter size for their customer classification.

All single family residential accounts with ยพ" to 2" meters who have an AWC lower than the average AWC for ยพ" single family residential class will be assigned the ยพ" single family residential class AWC.

Properties located outside the El Paso city limits are charged 1.15 times the rate for the same service to customers whose properties are inside the city limits.

Outside City Rates

 Meter Size

 Minimum Charge
 Water Supply Replacement
 Old Rate
 New Rate
 Old Rate
 New Rate
 Less than 1"
 $10.90  $11.34  $16.15  $16.80
 1"  $17.00  $17.68  $40.41  $42.03

Water Supply Replacement Charge

A monthly water supply replacement charge shall be collected from the users of each and every service connected to the water system, including Local Government Turf Accounts and Very Large Water Users.

* If the monthly water consumption is less than 4 CCF, the monthly charge for the Water Supply Replacement will not be charged.
Meter Size Monthly Charge*
Less than 1" *$14.60
1" $36.55
1 1/2" $73.08
2" $116.94
3" $233.77
4" $365.31
6" $730.63
8" $1,358.08

Water Bill Guarantee Deposit

A guarantee deposit shall be collected from all users of water lines and systems of EPWater as a condition of service at the time of the user's application for water service from the utility as follows:

  Deposit:
Single family residence $75.00
Duplex residence $150.00
Triplex residence $225.00
Commercial establishment $150.00
Industrial $500.00

If the credit record of a particular customer is unfavorable, the utility management shall require a deposit in excess of the scheduled amount based on the two highest monthly bills on record for the customer. The guarantee deposit will be applied against the final bill. At termination of service, any excess deposit will be refunded. Guarantee deposits shall not earn interest, and no customer shall be entitled to interest on the deposit.

Customer Account Set-Up Fee

There is no charge for new customers to set-up service with El Paso Water.

Franchise Fee

A $6.55 million franchise fee was imposed by the City of El Paso to compensate for wear and tear on streets by EPWater vehicles and the use of streets and rights of way for utility pipelines. The franchise fee is based on meter size and assessed to all residential, non-residential and standby fire protection accounts.

The following fees are effective with meter readings taken after March 1, 2020.

Meter Size Residential Non-Residential Standby Fire
Less than 1" $1.33 $1.69 N/A
1" $2.85 $3.64 N/A
1 1/2" $4.46 $7.99 $4.24
2" $6.21 $15.47 $9.52
3" $13.27 $29.17 $12.79
4" $22.12 $49.20 $18.76
6" N/A $135.49 $47.25
8" N/A $216.78 $73.56
10" N/A $311.67 $76.37
12" $190.12 $582.64 $79.30

Wastewater Rates

Wastewater Service Charges

Monthly minimum wastewater charge for City water customers, based on size of water meter with a 5CCF volume allowance:

Meter Size Minimum Monthly Charge
Less than 1" $28.82
1" $66.29
1 1/2" $141.08
2" $177.52
3" $392.36
4" $604.32
6" $936.02
8" $3,148.70
Commodity Charge:

The commodity charge for wastewater service to all customers shall be set at $3.93 per CCF. The commodity charge shall be calculated based on 90% of average winter consumption (AWC) in excess of the volume allowance included in the minimum charge. The minimum and commodity charge will be set through the following February billing cycle.

AWC is the average amount of water used during the most recent December, January and February billing periods.

The commodity charge for new customers will be calculated using the class average AWC by meter size for their respective class until they establish an AWC base.

Residential Charge:

Charges for services less than the normal 30-day reading cycle shall be calculated in the same manner as a full reading cycle.

Wastewater service to facilities where all or part of the water supply is obtained from other than the City water system shall be charged on the basis of the actual wastewater volume as estimated by the utility or as measured by a meter installed at the customer's expense, except as provided herein for certain residential properties. The charge for such wastewater service shall be $40.11 per month, plus $3.93 per hundred cubic feet (CCF) of the total actual or estimated wastewater volume for all users.

Where the wastewater service charge is based on water consumption and the use of the water is such that a considerable portion thereof is not returned to the sanitary wastewater system, the user may, at his option, install a meter for the purpose of measuring such water that does not return to the wastewater or a meter to measure the amount of wastewater actually entering the system, and the monthly wastewater charges shall be based on the difference between the two water meters or on the readings of the wastewater meter, whichever is applicable. Meter installations as described herein shall be made at the users' expense. The charge for wastewater service based on actual volume of wastewater shall be $46.19 per month plus $3.93 per CCF of the total measured wastewater volume.

Wastewater charges are based on the "normal" quality (or strength) of wastewater. A surcharge shall be added for strengths exceeding the normal limits based upon analysis of samples taken by the utility under provisions of the Rules and Regulations, and upon the quantities of wastewater determined by the same methods used to calculate the regular wastewater charge. The surcharge shall be 27.0 cents for each pound of BOD in excess of 300 parts per million (ppm), plus 29.0 cents for each pound of suspended solids in excess of 300 ppm.

Permit fees for Wastewater Discharge Permits (two types) and Waste Hauler Permits shall be as follows:

Permit Fee:
Categorical Industries $3,925 per year
Non-categorical Industries $2,150 per year

For more details, please refer to Rules and Regulations No. 6: Sewer Service Rates.

Stormwater Rates

Residential Properties: (Including duplexes and triplexes)

* Impervious area refers to the ground floor of the house, garages, porches, patios, and any additional buildings, storage sheds, or other areas that cannot be penetrated by rain. It does not include driveways, sidewalks, turf or xeriscaped areas. Residential customers can find the square footage of their property at the El Paso Central Appraisal District website.
Residential Impervious Area Monthly Charge
Small 1-1,200 sq. ft. $3.20
Typical 1,201-3,000 sq. ft. $6.40
Large 3,001 sq. ft. + $12.77

Apartment Units
Apartment units with meters classified as residential are billed individually based on the unit size per residential category (small, typical or large). If the building has two or more stories, the charge is divided among the number of units sharing the same footprint.

Non-Residential Properties
Non-residential properties include apartment buildings, commercial and industrial customers, and any other customer class not designated as residential, but excluding those subject to mandatory exemption. These properties are charged according to the amount of impervious area, including buildings, paved parking lots and other areas that are impermeable to rainwater. Impervious surfaces in general are land areas that are not vegetated, do not support vegetation and are hardened surfaces designed to sustain heavy loads such as automobile storage and traffic.

Non-Residential Units of Measurement Monthly Charge
All Each 2,000 sq. ft. Impervious Area $6.51

Exemptions:
The following entities are exempt from stormwater charges:

  • Housing Authority of the City of El Paso
  • Independent school districts
  • Federal or state agencies
  • Public institutions of higher education
  • Undeveloped lots
  • Agricultural land

Non-Profit Agencies:
A nonprofit agency that meets the following criteria will be billed 10 percent of the nonresidential stormwater charge.

  • It is a non-residential stormwater customer in the City of El Paso, Texas.
  • It is classified as a 501(C)(3), 501(C)(4), 501(C)(19) or 501(C)(23) agency per IRS regulations.
  • The completed Verification of Eligibility for Non-Profit Rate form and requested documentation have been submitted to El Paso Water.

Customers must apply by submitting a Verification of Eligibility for Non-Profit Rate form along with the requested documentation. The form can be downloaded here

Please email the completed form to [email protected] or mail it to:

EPWater
Stormwater Billing Credit Request
P.O. Box 511
El Paso, Texas 79961-0511

If your request is approved, the new rate will be reflected on the billing cycle following the approval. 

Stormwater Pond Credit (non-residential)

Non-residential properties that meet the following criteria qualify for a 25 percent credit.

  • The stormwater charges are being billed to a non-residential stormwater customer in the City of El Paso, Texas.
  • The stormwater charges are being billed to a property that has an on-site stormwater pond that meets minimum design standards established by the City.
  • The on-site stormwater pond is being maintained.
  • The completed Verification of Eligibility for On-Site Stormwater Pond Credit form has been submitted to El Paso Water.

Customers must apply for the credit by completing the Verification of Eligibility for On-site Stormwater Pond Credit form. The form can be downloaded here.

Please email the completed form to [email protected] or mail it to:

EPWater
Stormwater Billing Credit Request
P.O. Box 511
El Paso, Texas 79961-0511

If your request is approved, the new rate will be reflected on the billing cycle following the approval. If the pond is properly designed and maintained, a 25 percent credit will be applied to the monthly stormwater bill. The credit will remain in effect as long as the customer meets the eligibility criteria.

Reclaimed Water Rate

For all reclaimed water delivered to customers, except as stated in specific contractual arrangements, the charge is billed at a flat rate.

The reclaimed water rate is: $3.09/CCF

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