Annual Water Allocation: What is it and how does it impact your water bill?
All new water accounts are charged a water service connection fee that accounts for the cost of water resources and water related infrastructure needed to supply peak demand for the new connection. That connection fee accounts for the cost of setting up new services and the expected capacity (usage) in the system based on peak flow and customer class. Water allocations are assigned to commercial, irrigation, and multifamily properties and are intended to reflect the maximum amount of water the account should use annually to maintain the equitable portion of the water resources and water infrastructure that was paid for with the water connection fee.
Water accounts established before 2017 do not have an allocation agreement, unlike new developments built after 2017. Historically, these accounts had their water allocation reset every January based on the average usage of the previous two years. This practice ended in 2023.
Water accounts that stay within their established annual water allocation pay the lowest, Tier 1 water rate. When an account exceeds its annual water allocation, it is essentially using water and infrastructure that was not accounted for when it connected to the water system. Therefore, water used above the allocated amount is charged a higher Tier 2 rate, so that the account contributes to financially supporting additional water resources and infrastructure capacity needed to cover the higher-than-expected water use.
Tracking water use and your annual water allocation to save money
The amount of water your account has been allocated is presented on your monthly bill under your ‘Usage Profile’. The amount of water your account is annually allocated can be found under the heading ‘Annual’. The amount of water you have used during the month and the amount of water left in the annual allocation is also found in the section of your bill. Water bills provide a monthly update on the running annual total of water use and how much water is remaining in the annual allocation before Tier 2 rates go into effect. By monitoring your water use every month either by looking at your paper bill or by logging into your water account at myaccount.aurorawater.org/login, you can take steps to reduce water use that can help you prevent from going into the higher Tier 2 rates.
Aurora Water Tools and Programs to Help You Manage Your Water Use
We know that you are busy and don’t have time to be constantly worrying about your water use, which is why Aurora Water provides water saving resources and tools to help account holders reduce their water consumption and manage their water use.
EyeOnWater: Aurora Water is in the process of a multi-year upgrade to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). With AMI, meters transmit readings daily instead of monthly like traditional meters. Now, Aurora Water has more comprehensive data to help customers understand their water use through EyeOnWater, a free, online portal. EyeOnWater allows you to monitor water use and set leak alerts to help you enhance water management at your property. For more information about EyeOnWater visit Auroragov.org/EyeOnWater or to signup go to EyeOnWater.com/signup.
Water Use Assessments: Aurora Water provides free indoor and outdoor water assessment to help account holders track down the cause of higher-than-expected water use. For more information about how to sign-up and for do-it-yourself guidebooks visit Auroragov.org/WaterAssessment.
Rebates: Aurora Water offers several rebate programs that can help you to invest in water savings devices and fixtures, such as ultra-high-efficiency toilets, turf replacement, and irrigation system devices and components. For more information about how you can apply for this assistance visit Auroragov.org/rebates.
Our goal is to help you save both money and water. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about your annual water allocation or would like additional information about any of the tools and programs, we have available to help you reduce water use. You can call us at 303.739.7388 or email
[email protected]