Utility Billing FAQ

Your water bill pays for the city's cost of pumping, treating and delivering clean water to your home or business. Those costs include the maintenance and replacement of wells, water treatment facilities and pipes. We do not pay for the groundwater itself, but for the infrastructure and treatment to deliver the water. The water system is paid for entirely with the water fees, it receives no tax base support.

Your sewer (wastewater) bill pays for the cost of transporting wastewater away from your home or business and treating it. The wastewater is moved through a series of pipes and possible lift stations on its way to the wastewater treatment facility. The charges are based on the volume of wastewater treated on your behalf. The wastewater system is paid for entirely with utility fees, it receives no tax base support.

Sewer rates are based on an average of water usage during the "off season" of November through January, when water usage is typically lower. Multi-Family Units utilize a different calculation method. 

For more information about how charges are calculated, please visit the City of Box Elder Municipal Code, Section 42-29(c).

No, you are only billed for the city services connected to your property. 

Surcharges are only applied for the corresponding services actively billed on a utility account. For example, you will be billed the water surcharge rates for a utility account actively billed for water services.

Surcharges on projects do not get applied until the city begins drawing from the State Revolving Fund Loan for that project. For more information, please visit our Projects & Funding Statuses Page.