Greeley Water Budget Explained: Why Your Bill Jumped

Greeley does not charge one flat price for water. Single-family homes pay by a water budget, and the price per gallon rises as you use more. That design rewards efficient homes. It also means a hidden leak can raise your bill faster than the water alone would explain. This guide explains how the Greeley water budget works and what the tiers mean. It also shows how to spot a leak before it costs you.

We are a leak detection company, not the city. Rates and rules change. Confirm current details with Greeley Water and Sewer at 970-350-9811 or Water@greeleygov.com.

The short version

• Your bill has two main parts: fixed service charges and a charge for the water you use.
• The city prices water per 1,000 gallons.
• Single-family accounts get a monthly water budget.
• Use up to your budget costs the lowest rate.
• Use above your budget costs more, in steps called tiers.

The City of Greeley says the tiers rest on efficient water use for your lot size and household. Bills are monthly. The city bills sewer per 1,000 gallons treated.

What a water budget is

A water budget is an amount of water the city sets as efficient use for your home. It reflects the size of your lot and the number of people who live there. Think of it as a target. If you stay at or under it, you pay the lowest rate.

The city's published pages do not spell out every step of the calculation. If you want to know how the city set your budget, ask Greeley Water and Sewer. You can also check your bill, which shows your use compared with your budget.

The four tiers

The city's 2024 rate manual lists four tiers for single-family customers inside city limits. Each tier covers a slice of your budget.

The manual does not list an effective date for these water rates. Rates change, so treat the table as an example, not a current price list. The point holds either way. The top tier costs about twice the first tier.

Customers who are not on the water budget pay one flat rate per 1,000 gallons. The 2024 manual lists that rate at $5.88 inside city limits.

How the tiers work in practice

Each gallon costs the rate of the tier it falls in. Use up to 100 percent of your budget at the tier 1 rate. Gallons between 101 and 130 percent cost the tier 2 rate. Gallons beyond that cost more.

Here is a simple example using the 2024 manual rates. Suppose your budget allows 10,000 gallons in a month.

• You use 10,000 gallons. All of it costs the tier 1 rate. The water charge is about $56.
• You use 14,000 gallons. The first 10,000 cost the tier 1 rate. The next 3,000 cost the tier 2 rate. The last 1,000 cost the tier 3 rate. The water charge is about $85.
• You use 20,000 gallons. The first 10,000 cost the tier 1 rate. The next 3,000 cost the tier 2 rate. The next 2,000 cost the tier 3 rate. The last 5,000 cost the tier 4 rate. The water charge is about $152.

Notice what happened. Use doubled from 10,000 to 20,000 gallons. The water charge nearly tripled. That is the water budget at work. These numbers are examples only. Your budget and rates will differ.

What a leak does to a water budget bill

A leak adds gallons you never meant to use. Those gallons push you toward the higher tiers.

Take a leak of one gallon per minute. It wastes 1,440 gallons a day, or about 43,200 gallons in 30 days. Say your household uses 10,000 gallons on its own. That leak pushes total use to more than five times your budget. Almost all the extra gallons land in the top tier.

A slow leak behaves differently. A leak of 1,000 gallons a month might move you from tier 1 into tier 2. That looks small, but it grows over time.

Leaks hurt twice. You pay for the water. You also pay the highest rate for it.

Where to find leaks that push you over budget

The same few places cause most budget busters.

• Toilets. A flapper that leaks into the bowl can waste hundreds of gallons a day.
• Sprinkler systems. Broken lines and stuck valves run for weeks unseen. See our guide to irrigation leak detection.
• Buried service lines. A break between the meter and your home leaks steadily. See our page on water line leak detection.
• Water heater connections and fixtures. Drips add up.
• Slab leaks. A hidden line under the floor can leak for months. See slab leak detection.

How to stay in tier 1

You can keep use within budget. Try these habits:

• Run the meter test monthly. It takes 15 minutes. Follow our meter test guide.
• Fix drips and running toilets fast. The EPA says household leaks can waste nearly 10,000 gallons a year.
• Water the lawn on schedule. Greeley sets watering rules each spring. In a normal year, the season has run from about April 15 to October 31. The city bans overhead watering from 10 am to 6 pm. Check the current rules.
• Water deeply, less often. The city suggests single-family water budget customers water no more than three days a week.
• Adjust sprinkler heads. Make sure they hit turf, not pavement.
• Test your sprinklers in spring and midsummer. Look for soggy spots and weak sprays.
• Run full loads. Wash full loads of laundry and dishes.
• Check your bill each month. Compare your use to your budget.

What to do when your bill jumps

Follow these steps:

1. Look at the bill. Find your use and your budget. See how far over you went.
2. Think about the cause. Did you fill a pool, host guests, or run sprinklers more?
3. Run the meter test. If the meter moves with everything off, you have a leak.
4. Check toilets. Use food coloring in each tank.
5. Close the irrigation shutoff and test again. See if the meter stops.
6. Call a leak detection company if the meter still moves.
7. Call Greeley Water and Sewer. Ask about your meter reading and what options exist.

For a longer walk-through, read our high water bill guide.

Does the city adjust bills for leaks?

The city's published rate manual does not describe a leak adjustment policy. That does not mean none exists. Policies can live elsewhere or change. Ask Greeley Water and Sewer at 970-350-9811 whether any adjustment applies to your situation. Bring documentation, such as a leak detection report. See what ours includes on the leak detection report page.

The city also lists a one-time utility assistance credit for qualified residents. Ask the city about eligibility.

Why this matters for the cost of detection

A detection visit costs money. A leak costs money too, and the water budget makes waiting expensive. At 2024 manual rates, a one-gallon-per-minute leak costs roughly $240 to $510 a month in water charges alone. Compare that with detection costs on our leak detection cost page.

Common questions

Know your budget, check your meter

The Greeley water budget rewards efficient homes and punishes hidden leaks. A monthly meter check keeps you ahead. If your bill jumps and the meter moves, call Leak Detector Greeley. We find the leak, mark it, and give you a report you can share with the city or your plumber.