You’ve learned that your commercial building qualifies for sewer credits — now what? The application process varies from city to city, but the core steps remain consistent. Here’s a practical walkthrough that applies to most municipalities across the country.
Step 1: Confirm Your Utility Offers a Program
Most large and mid-size municipalities offer some form of sewer credit, sewer adjustment, or evaporation credit program. The fastest way to find out is to call your utility’s commercial accounts department and ask specifically about “sewer credits for non-consumptive water use” or “cooling tower evaporation credits.” Some utilities publish their programs online; others require you to ask directly.
Don’t assume your city doesn’t have a program just because it’s not prominently advertised. Many utilities offer credits but don’t actively promote them — the programs exist because regulations require them, not because the utility wants to reduce its revenue.
Step 2: Install Submeters on Non-Sewer Water Uses
Every sewer credit application requires metering data that proves how much water bypasses the sewer system. For cooling tower installations, this typically means two meters: one on the makeup water line (measuring total water entering the tower) and one on the blowdown line (measuring water discharged to the sewer). The difference between makeup and blowdown is your evaporation — the water that qualifies for credits.
The EPA’s WaterSense program for commercial buildings emphasizes submetering as a foundational step for any water management strategy, not just credit applications.
Step 3: Collect 60 to 90 Days of Baseline Data
Utilities want to see consistent data, not just a snapshot. Plan to collect at least two to three months of meter readings before submitting your application. This baseline period demonstrates your building’s typical water use pattern across varying weather conditions and occupancy levels. Digital meters with automatic logging make this effortless — the data collects itself.
Step 4: Submit the Application Package
A typical application includes your completed application form (available from the utility), submeter readings covering the baseline period, cooling tower or equipment specifications, a simple diagram showing your water piping and meter locations, and your most recent 12 months of water and sewer bills. Some cities also require meter calibration certificates or a letter from a licensed engineer. Check your specific utility’s requirements carefully — a missing document can delay approval by months.
Step 5: Receive Adjusted Billing
Approval timelines range from 30 days in streamlined cities to six months in slower bureaucracies. Once approved, your sewer charges will be reduced starting with the next billing cycle. Most programs require annual or biannual renewal with updated metering data — this is where continuous monitoring through submetering pays off, because you always have current data ready.
What If My City’s Process Is Different?
Some cities have unique requirements. Dallas, for example, has a specific evaporation credit application that differs from the standard Texas process. Other cities require third-party verification of your metering data. Our guide to sewer credit requirements by city breaks down the variations across major metropolitan areas.
The Department of Energy’s cooling tower management guidelines provide additional context on the water measurement standards that most utilities reference when evaluating credit applications.
Ready to Find Out What You Could Save?
RPM Water Equity Solutions helps commercial facilities recover money lost to sewer billing assumptions. If your building has cooling towers, you may be paying sewer charges on water that never reaches the sewer system.
Request your free assessment today and find out how much you could recover.
Don’t Wait for the Perfect Moment
The most expensive thing you can do is nothing. Every month you delay your application is another month of full sewer charges on water that never touched the sewer. The application process takes some effort upfront, but the ongoing savings make it one of the highest-return investments a commercial facility can make. Start with step one — pick up the phone and call your utility’s commercial department today.
