BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) – If Belton residents have any questions after getting their next utility bill, this is probably why.

The City of Belton implemented a new billing structure for water service on October 1, and also increased the sewer rate. Public Information Officer Paul Romer says the City anticipates water and sewer utility customers will want to know more about these changes.

The City has created a webpage with all of this information in an easy to read format. Under the new water rate structure, properties with larger meters will pay higher base rates. This assures that customers should pay for the availability of large quantities of water which might be needed in a short amount of time.

The previous water rate charged a base fee, which included the first 2,000 gallons. Customers who used more than 2,000 gallons paid $3.70 per 1,000 gallons. These fees will not change for 90 percent of Belton water customers, since most residential water meters are less than one inch.

Customers with separate meters for irrigation will no longer pay a monthly base fee for that meter – however, the sprinkler volumetric rate will increase to $4.12 per 1,000 gallons.

Water services provided outside of Belton city limits will continue to be charged at a rate of 1.25 times the rate within the city.

For more information, you can view the webpage here.