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City to begin billing multiunit buildings per dwelling unit even if they share a single meter
Summary
City staff announced a code‑driven change: multi‑dwelling buildings served by a single meter will be billed a water and sewer charge for each dwelling unit rather than a single combined charge; staff will adjust billing for the next cycle and handle resident inquiries.
City staff informed the council on April 15 that Benton City will change billing practice to align with city code: where a multifamily building has several dwelling units served by a single meter, the billing system will charge water and sewer service for each dwelling unit rather than a single combined account.
Staff said the change follows an interpretation of municipal code that requires a separate water/sewer charge per dwelling unit for multi‑dwelling properties. Examples given: a four‑unit apartment now billed once on a single meter will be billed as four unit charges after the billing update. Staff asked councilors and residents to direct questions to Public Works while staff explains the change and offers information to affected property owners and tenants.
The change is an administrative implementation of existing code language rather than a new rate increase; staff reported they plan to implement the change for the next billing cycle and to provide explanatory outreach to avoid confusion.
