Utility Billing
Utility Billing is responsible for providing customer service and processing monthly statements and payments for all water, sewer, wastewater and storm drainage consumers.
If you have questions or need additional information about your Town of Berthoud Utility Bill, please contact Town Hall at 970-532-2643, or e-mail your questions to: billing@berthoud.org
Water
All water customers in Berthoud have meters. Your monthly bill includes a line fee and a use charge for the water that passes through your water meter.
| Typical residential inside Town limits rates | Typical residential outside Town limits rates |
|---|---|
| $16.27 line fee | $24.41 line fee |
| First 24,000 gallons, $4.14 per 1,000 | First 24,000 gallons, $6.19 per 1,000 |
| Over 24,000 gallons, $8.27 per 1,000 | Over 24,000 gallons, $12.37 per 1,000 |
Watering Restrictions
No irrigation shall be permitted between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the exception that micro-irrigation using hand watering, soaker hoses, drip irrigation and irrigation of newly laid sod and newly seeded lawns may be done at any time.
Wastewater
Your cost for the water that you send down the drain to the Wastewater Treatment Plant is calculated annually, based on the average amount of water consumed as reflected on your January and February utility bills. These two (2) winter months were chosen so customers would not be charged for treated water used outdoors. If you water your lawn in the winter, the water used is included in your average. For new and transferring customers, the sewer charge can be set in one of three ways:
- Transfer the sewer base from a former address within Berthoud.
- Establish a sewer base by providing water bills from another city. The bills need to reflect your water usage (in gallons) for the most recent January and February.
- Pay a flat rate until the sewer base is established.
Payments
Your utility bill is payable on or before the due date shown on the bill. Please write your account number on your check. You may pay your bill in any of these ways:
- Mail your check to: Town of Berthoud, P.O. Box 1229, Berthoud, CO 80513. DO include the payment stub. DO NOT send cash in the mail.
- Take your payment, check, cash or money order, to Town Hall at 328 Massachusetts between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours and on weekends, you can place your check in the drop box outside Town Hall at 328 Massachusetts. DO NOT put cash in the drop box.
Any payments not received by the due date will incur a late fee of $10.00.
Overdue Accounts
Shut Off Notice. Any balance carried over from the prior month, not paid by the 15th day of the current month, will automatically generate a Shut Off Notice. To avoid having your services shut off, pay your bill by the date and time indicated on the Shut Off Notice.
Door hangers. Door hangers are delivered the day after the due date for past due charges. Utilities will be shut off no sooner than the next business day after you receive a door hanger unless payment is received promptly.
Discontinuation of Service. Your utility services will be shut off if you do not pay your bill. A $30 reconnect fee will be charged to restore services. Reconnect after 4:00 p.m. will be $60. Services will be restored after fees and overdue charges are paid.
Payment Extension. If you need to make payment arrangements, call Town Hall at 970-532-2643. Make your arrangements prior to the bill due date.
Returned Checks
The Town charges a $25 fee for a returned check, which will be billed to your account. If a check is returned on a delinquent account, services will be discontinued immediately until cash or money order payment is made.
Water Bills
Why is my water bill high so high?
A high water bill may indicate you have a leak. Even a small leak can waste enough water for you to notice an increase on your bill. If there is a leak anywhere within your plumbing system, the person named on the utility bill must pay for the water used. Fix your leaks promptly to avoid paying for them each month.
Each person living in Berthoud uses an average of 117 gallons of water each day or about 3,500 gallons a month. Outdoor watering can double or triple your water bill.
If you do not have a water leak and your bill seems high, consider these questions:
- Did you use more water keeping the grass green?
- Did you go on vacation and leave someone else in charge of your lawn watering?
- Do you have an automatic sprinkler system with a broken head?
- Have you put in a new lawn, sprinkler system or pool recently?
- Were your children playing with the water?
- Did you do extra loads of laundry before or after a vacation?
- Did you have friends or relatives staying with you?
Ideas to help you find water leaks
Most leaks are easy to find, but some can go undetected. Here are some ideas to help find a water leak in your home.
Toilets
- Listen and look for running water.
- Put a few drops of food coloring into the tank. Or pick up free dye tablets at Town Hall located at 328 Massachusetts. If color shows up in the bowl within ten minutes, the valve or support assembly may need to be replaced.
- See if the ball valve drops squarely into the drain opening. If not, clean it out or replace the ball valve if it is worn.
- Check the flush handle to see if it is stuck in the flush position.
- Bend the float arm to lower the water level to at least one-half inch below the top of the overflow tube.
- Replace the overflow tube if it has holes below the water level.
Faucets, Bathtubs and Showers
- Replace worn gaskets and washers.
- Replace washerless faucets.
- Tighten waterline connections and valves.
Air Conditioner/Humidifier
- Check for water leaks.
Water Heater
- Replace the pressure and temperature valve, if leaking.
- Tighten the drain valve.
Dishwasher/Clothes Washer
- Look for water drips or stains underneath or in back of the machine.
Water Service Connection
- Look for drips or wet areas in the crawl space.
- Place a screwdriver on the service line and listen. No noise means water is not running.
Outside Faucets
- Replace worn gaskets and washers.
Sprinkler System
- Disconnect hoses from outside faucets to protect against freeze damage.
- Winterize your sprinkler system according to the system's instructions.
- Check for any damage to sprinkler heads.
- Make sure that all drain plugs are closed.
Water Conservation Tips
Wise water use
To use water wisely, examine activities that use the most water. Keeping the grass green uses the most water. Next in line is water used in the bathroom. Flushing the toilet and taking a bath or a shower account for over 70 percent of the water used indoors. Here are some tips to help you use your water wisely.
Keeping the grass green
- Water your lawn only when needed. If you step on the grass and it does not spring back, it is time to water.
- Irrigate slowly, deeply and infrequently to encourage a deeper root system. Add only the amount of water necessary.
- The best time to water is early in the day.
—After 10 a.m., evaporation robs the soil of moisture; so any watering that you do after that time doesn't get absorbed efficiently. Also, water droplets combined with the presence of hot sun create a magnifying effect that can actually burn blades of grass.
—Running sprinkler or watering at night can lead to root rot and creates excessive moisture that can lead to lawn disease. - Do not water on a windy day.
- Adjust your automatic sprinkler schedule based on the need for water. People that haul a hose for irrigation use less water for irrigation because of closer control of water use.
- Check for leaks in pipes, hoses and faucets.
- Plant drought-resistant trees and plants.
- Place a good layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture and discourage weed growth.
- Incorporate organic material into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil before planting to develop a strong root system that requires less water.
Saving water in the bathroom
- If you have a toilet that uses 5 to 6 gallons of water per flush, put plastic bottles filled with pebbles and water in the tank to lower water use.
- Install low-flow showerheads.
- Take shorter showers.
- Take baths. A bathtub partially filled uses less water than all but the shortest showers.
- Use the bathroom wastebasket, not the toilet, to dispose of trash.
- Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Use water in a glass to rinse your mouth.
- Rinse your razor in the sink, not in running water.
Other tips
- Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Waiting for cold water from the tap, wastes water.
- If the clothes washing machine is not full, use only enough water for the clothes you are washing.
- Run the dishwasher only when it is full.