Understanding Your Bill

How to calculate your water bill (residential customers)

Your water bill (view example of your bill) adds up the following costs:

• Storm Drainage Fee (Fixed charge depending on square footage pays for the cleaning, repair, maintenance and improvement of the city’s storm drain system.)
• Water (This is a tiered rate based on the amount of water used.)
• Wastewater (Base fee plus variable rate billed on either the winter month average or the current month’s water usage.)
• Trash/Recycling Service (Fixed charge pays for garbage and recycling pickup services.)
• Voluntary Donation (You can help those in need keep their water on by automatically adding as little as $1 a month to your water bill through the Water Assistance Program.)
• Garbage Tax (This is a State of Texas tax for Real Property Services associated with the removal or collection of garbage.)

View current billing rates for water, wastewater, storm drainage and garbage.

How each fee is calculated

Storm Drainage Fee

The Storm Drainage Fee pays for the cleaning, repair, maintenance and improvement of the city’s storm drain system. This is a base rate depending on square footage. (The regulations are the result of a federal mandate to clean up pollution from storm water which drains into rivers, lakes and streams.)

Storm Drainage based on square footage

Commercial rates are calculated using a charge of ($0.1443) per 100 sq ft of impervious area according to the following formula: (TOTAL IMPERVIOUS AREA) X (RATE) / 100

Water Use

Tiered Billing Structure

Grand Prairie, along with cities across the country, uses a tiered water rate structure for all residential water customers.

This structure is part of the city’s Water Conservation Plan, mandated by the State, designed to encourage water conservation. Customers who use less water not only buy fewer gallons, but also enjoy lower rates on what they do buy. The more water a customer uses, the more gallons they must buy and if that total exceeds 20,000 gallons in a month, the water rate goes up too. High levels of water usage can get expensive quickly.

The City of Grand Prairie is a water customer of the Dallas Water Utilities and Fort Worth Water, which provide the city with treated water. As the city purchases water in higher volumes for its customers, rates charged to the city rise proportionally for raw water purchases, water treatment, chemicals, debt service to fund federal environmental mandates, and infrastructure—in addition to any additional rate increases levied by Dallas or Fort Worth. As with other cities, these costs are passed through to the retail customer.

View the High Water FAQ page for information on how you can control your costs.

How to Calculate Cost of Monthly Water Use

To calculate your cost for monthly water use, multiply the number of 1,000 gallon units consumed with your water rate (based on the tiered billing structure above). Then add your base meter rate.*

*Your meter rate is based on the size of your water meter. Most residential meters are 5/8”. The size of your meter is typically printed on the face of your meter.

Water Base (fixed charges per month)

Wastewater Use

The wastewater fee pays for collecting and transporting wastewater (any water you flush, shower or rinse down the drain) and for taking care of the sewage system.

Trash/Recycling Service

The trash/recycling is a fixed charge that pays for garbage collection twice a week and recycling collection once a week. This also covers curbside brush pick up (twice per week, 1 cubic yard), street sweeping and thoroughfare litter collection.

Voluntary Donation

You can help Grand Prairie residents in need keep their water on by automatically adding as little as $1 a month to your water bill through the Water Assistance Program.

Garbage Tax

This is a State of Texas tax for Real Property Services associated with the removal or collection of garbage. The current tax rate is 8.25%.