• Utility Billing
  • Understanding Your Utility Bill
  • Current Rates
• 2009 Budget
• 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

Understanding Your Utility Bill

• Water charges include a minimum fee plus an additional fee based on the number of gallons used.
• Sanitary sewer charges include a minimum fee (including the 1,000 gallons of sewage treatment) plus an additional fee based on volume. During the winter (December through March) volume charges are based on the actual amount of water used. During the summer (April through November) volume charges are based on the average monthly water usage during the previous winter or the actual volume of water used - whichever is less. The Metropolitan Council is also charging the city a sanitary sewer treatment surcharge because the city has a history of excessive sanitary sewer volumes following heavy storm events presumably caused by the inflow or infiltration of storm water into the city's sanitary sewer system. The surcharge is used to address the city's inflow and infiltration issues.
• The city is required by state and county law to provide a recycling program for its residents. The recycling program is a utility service and every utility customer is assessed a recycling fee. The rate charged is not based on how often or how much a resident uses the program.
• A street light charge is assessed against all utility accounts. The fee is used to pay for street lights throughout the city. Most neighborhoods are served by non-decorative street lights with overhead power. A few New Hope neighborhoods are served by decorative street lights with underground power; utility customers in those neighborhoods pay a slightly higher street light fee.
• The storm drainage fee pays for cleaning, maintenance, and improvements to the storm water treatment system throughout the city. Every property in New Hope pays a storm drainage fee.
• Every property connected to municipal water in the state of Minnesota is charged an annual connection fee to pay for water testing done by the Minnesota Department of Health.