Sewer Only Metering Program

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Farmington Hills, like many other communities, uses the water meter in a home to determine charges for sanitary sewer usage. The assumption is that most of the water used in your home (showers, clothes and dish washing, toilets, etc.) eventually goes into the sanitary sewer, therefore the sewer bill is based upon the amount of water that flows through the property’s water meter. Customers who are only connected to the public sanitary sewer system, do not currently have a public water meter and are billed a quarterly flat sewer rate.

The City of Farmington Hills Sewer Only Metering Program allows sewer only customers the option to purchase and install a meter supplied by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office (WRC) for the purpose of measuring water usage from their private well water supply. This would change the quarterly sewer bill from a flat rate charge to a calculated amount based upon either the metered well water usage or the minimum bill equivalent of 1.6 thousand cubic feet (1.6 MCF), whichever is higher.

What is a sewer only meter?

At the expense of the property owner, sewer only customers have the option to purchase and install a meter for the purpose of measuring water from their private well water supply.

How will a sewer only customer benefit?

The customers quarterly sewer bill will change from the flat rate charge of 4.0 thousand cubic feet (MCF) to a calculated amount, or the minimum bill amount of 1.6 thousand cubic feet (MCF), whichever is higher. In addition, homes would be plumbed with a meter, in the event a connection to the City’s public water system occurs in the future.

How will a sewer only customer benefit?

Customers should contact a licensed plumber to determine the needed meter size, however most residential homes require the minimum meter size of 1”.

Meter Size	Meter and Reading Device	WRC Permit and Fixed Charges	Total WRC Meter Charge
1 inch	$510	$180	$690
1.5 inch	$860	$290	$1,150
2 inch	$1,050	$420	$1,470

Are there additional costs?

The installation of a sewer only meter will require plumbing changes within the home and a licensed plumber is required to do this work. The costs for these changes will vary depending upon the complexity of the existing plumbing in each home.

Are permits required?

All plumbing changes and meter installations must be incompliance with the State Plumbing Code. A Private Well Meter Permit must be obtained from the City of Farmington Hills Building Division in person or on-line at https://fhgov.com/departments-services/planning-and-community-development/building.

In addition, a Metered Well Permit must also be obtained from the Oakland County WRC. Customers can apply in person or on-line at https://www.oakgov.com/government/water-resources-commissioner/resources/connection-disconnection-applications-for-water-sewer.

All work must be inspected and approved by the Plumbing Inspector before use of the sewer only meter and prior to WRC installing the meter reading device.

What is the procedure if I want to participate in the Sewer Only Metering Program?

Click here to view the current procedure for the Sewer Only Metering Program.