What to know about your water bill

Three years ago, Jill Tanzi stopped irrigating her yard. Since then, her water bill has dropped from thousands of dollars to just under $200, as Weston’s water rates are charged on a tiered system in which higher users are charged at a higher rate per gallon than those who use less water.

“I don’t use my irrigation,” Tanzi said. “We decided to not chance it.”

Water bills are due in Weston this week. As the town rolls into the next billing cycle and the weather gets warmer, here’s a look at how the costs are calculated and where the money goes.

Calculation

The semiannual bill is comprised of two costs: a fixed-rate and a tiered-rate. The fixed cost is based on the size of pipes in a home. Tom Palmer, who in his former role as select board member served as water commissioner, said this rate is based on the possibility of water use because larger pipes have the potential to move more water.

“We have to size the system based on [homeowners’] capacity to use it. Whether or not they do is another matter,” said Palmer.

The cost of water usage is based on a system in which the first tier charges $3.40 per 100 cubic feet of water, up to 5,000 cubic feet. That covers the amount of domestic use, such as showers and washing dishes, according to Palmer.

When a resident uses more than 5,000 cubic feet of water they reach the second tier rate, which is $10.20 per 100 cubic feet of water, mostly seen in lawn irrigation. After reaching 15,000 cubic feet, the cost goes up to $20.40 per 100 cubic feet.

Palmer said residents tend to get bumped into a higher tier because of their irrigation usage, which is the source of much of the town’s water usage.

According to the 2024 Massachusetts Water Rate Survey, prepared by engineering firm Tighe & Bond, 67% of water suppliers in the state, including Weston, charge by an ascending rate.

The survey, which was conducted with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Environmental Finance Center, also compared water rates across the state. As of 2024, tier-one and tier-two costs rank low against median rates across the state, while the third tier rises just above the median. Bills in Weston can be as high as they are because the town is one of the highest water users in the state per resident, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

Recent history

The Select Board sets the water rate every year. In September 2025, it voted to increase the fixed rate by 10% for fiscal year 2026 in a unanimous vote. Houses with 3/4-inch meter pipes – the most common size in Weston – now receive a semi-annual charge of $55.

Fixed rates were also increased in FY25 to reduce variability in town’s revenue and to reduce future price increases to finance the replacement of the town’s three water tanks, according to Palmer.

Tanzi, the Weston resident who stopped irrigating her yard after a series of high bills, said once, while she was on vacation, a pipe burst. In trying to turn it off, irrigation accidentally got turned on for about two days which put her household in a higher tier. Another year, using irrigation as intended, still brought her home into a higher tier of water rates. Lack of irrigating hasn’t had a large impact on her yard, she said.

“It seems to be able to grow. It hasn’t really needed irrigation,” Tanzi said. “I guess to make it perfect, irrigation would be optimal, but I’d rather not pay a $4,000 water bill.”

Where the money goes

Funds collected through water rates are managed by the town’s Water Enterprise Fund. Residents approve how it is spent every year at Annual Town meeting.

In FY27, more than $5 million will be spent on the town’s water system. The majority of the money, $3.1 million, will go to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), which supplies the town’s water, for a water assessment and water purchases. Any surplus funds are held in the enterprise fund until appropriated by the town.

In FY25, Weston collected $7.6 million in revenue, according to Palmer’s September presentation. Tier-one water accounted for 42% of the town’s usage and 19% of its revenue, while tier-three usage accounted for 28% of usage and 48% of revenue.

If there are extenuating circumstances regarding water use or an error in the meter reading, residents can apply for an abatement. Their case is heard by the Select Board. If an abatement is granted, the water is charged at the lower tier.

“We have to pay for the water no matter what, so we have to recoup the town’s cost, but we give a break on the rate,” Gaumond said.

He says the overall issue with water is not from the cost, but from the usage.

Weston residents are among the highest water users in the state. From 2019 to 2024, the Weston Water Department has been in the top four water suppliers when it comes to residential gallon use per capita per day, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environment Protection. Weston was the highest user in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

“We have large properties with great irrigation needs,” Gaumond said. “The rates themselves are pretty low. What we have in Weston is a usage problem.”