Dual Meter Program

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Farmington Hills, like most other cities, uses the water meter in your home to determine charges for sanitary sewers. The assumption is that most of the water used in your home eventually flows into the sanitary sewer (showers, clothes and dish washing, toilets, etc.). Therefore your water and sewer bill has two rates, one for water, and one for sewer. Both are based on the water that flows through your water meter. This assumption is appropriate in most instances. However, water that is used outside on sprinklers doesn’t end up in the sewers. Therefore if you use a lot of sprinkler water, you are paying sewer charges for water that doesn’t end up in the sewers. With the popularity of sprinkler systems, this cost can be significant.

Farmington Hills, in an effort to save you money, allows the installation of a second water meter that measures only water that goes outside of your house to the sprinklers. When your water and sewer bill comes, the sewer rate will only be charged on that water that is used in the house.

This program is optional for the property owner. A second or dual meter can be installed to meter water that is directed exclusively to a sprinkler system or outside spigot/connection such as to a swimming pool and will not enter a sanitary sewer. The installation of a dual meter in the home would allow the sewage rate to be billed only on that amount of water that enters the sewer system through the home. Sewage fees would not be charged on the water that flows through the second meter for outside use. Although the cost for the permit and meter is fixed ($535), plumbing work in your home will also have to be completed. These plumbing costs will vary depending upon the complexity of the changes in piping required to install the second meter.

Any water and sewer customer can take advantage of this program. The customer, however, should evaluate individual circumstances based on use to calculate cost effectiveness.

For more information and a worksheet to help calculate your potential savings, please download or view:

2024 Dual Water Meter Information