The Riverhead Water District’s new two-tier rate structure took effect Jan. 1.
Under the new structure, water district customers pay more per thousand gallons of water used if they exceed a certain threshold. Thresholds are set according to a customer’s meter size.
The tier-one rate threshold for nearly all residential customers — who typically have either 5/8-an inch or 1-inch meters — is 90,000 gallons per quarter.
Typical residential customers with 5/8-inch and 1-inch meters are charged $1.95 per thousand gallons up to 90,000 in a quarter. Usage over 90,000 gallons in a quarter bumps the customer into tier two, and the rate per thousand gallons rises to $2.75.
The minimum service charge for customers with 5/8-inch meters is $11 per quarter. For customers with a 1-inch meter, the minimum service charge is $20 per quarter.
The quarterly service charge was not increased for 2023, but it no longer covers any water usage. Until this year, a customer’s minimum service charge covered an initial amount used, up to 2,000 or 5,000 for most residential customers.
The tier-one threshold for commercial and institutional customers — whose meters range in size from 1.5 to 10 inches — is be 290,000 gallons to 2.3 million gallons, depending on meter size.
The Town Board approved the new rate structure in August, to take effect Jan. 1.
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