The City of Round Rock employs rates designed to encourage water conservation during the summer watering season. The rates went into effect in the summer of 2012. The “block rate” program begins in May and runs through the fall.
The program works like this: Every residential customer with the typical 5/8-inch water meter pays a $13.84 monthly base fee. For each 1,000 gallons of water used up to 18,000 gallons, the rate is $2.35.
Customers who use 18,000 gallons a month or less – 74 percent of residential users – will not see any change in their monthly bills. The tiers are shown below (rates are per 1,000 gallons):
Under the new rates, customers using 30,000 gallons per month would pay $3.54 more per month than under the former rates. Customers using 40,000 gallons per month would pay $21.14 more. Customers using 80,000 gallons per month would pay $91.54 more. See conservation rate calculator
Customers who pay in the fourth tier -- those who use more than 30,000 gallons per month -- comprise 10 percent of our customers and use 30 percent of residential use water produced by the City.
For customers who have larger meters, the volume caps are listed below.
| Meter Size in inches | Volume by Gallons |
| 3/4 | 0 to 27,000 |
| 1.0 | 0 to 45,000 |
| 1.5 | 0 to 90,000 |
| 2.0 | 0 to 144,000 |
| 3.0 | 0 to 288,000 |
| 4.0 | 0 to 450,000 |
| 6.0 | 0 to 900,000 |
| 8.0 | 0 to 1,440,000 |
| 10.0 | 0 to 2,070,000 |
| 12.0 | 0 to 2,070,000 |
The block rate program is designed to encourage conservation by charging a higher rate to higher usage customers. By watering wisely and installing drought-tolerant landscaping, higher rate users can reduce their consumption and pay the lower rate.
Those using more than 18,000 gallons a month comprise about 20 percent of our residential customers, but that 20 percent consume approximately 50 percent of all water used by residential customers.
Wasting water? Don't know? Schedule a water audit
If you are interested scheduling a water audit for your home or business, contact Jessica Woods, water conservation specialist, at 671-2872.
The block rate program is one tool the City is using to conserve water. Round Rock uses reclaimed wastewater via its water re-use program to irrigate Forest Creek Golf Course, promotes responsible irrigation and other conservation practices by local businesses and residential customers through its Water Wise program, and offers free mulch to residents from our Recycle Center.
The City’s water conservation and drought contingency program is designed to:
- Protect the integrity of water supply facilities
- Prolong the life of existing water sources
- Minimize the impacts of water supply shortages
The City’s water treatment and delivery system is designed to provide water during peak usage times. Reducing the amount of water delivered during peak demand periods allows the City to defer the large costs needed to plan, design and construct water treatment and delivery infrastructure. Deferring those costs saves everybody money in the long term.
Any additional revenue generated by the block rate program will go toward conservation education and awareness programs, future capital improvements and will help offset future water rate increases.
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