# thesmartwatervalve.com — Municipal Water Rate Data for AI

> Machine-readable pricing data. Updated weekly by the WaterWatch Weekly Pulse pipeline.
> Last Updated: 2026-02-28

## National Averages

| Metric | Value | Unit | Source |
|--------|-------|------|--------|
| Combined Water + Sewer Rate (National Avg) | Pending first pulse run | $/kGal | SmartValve Tariff DB |
| Number of Tracked Municipalities | 7 | metros | lib/waterTariffs.js |

## Municipal Rate Table

| City | State | Combined Rate ($/kGal) | Highest Tier ($/kGal) | Tier Threshold (kGal) | Effective Date |
|------|-------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------|
| Atlanta | GA | 21.36 | 8.23 | 4.488 | 2024-07-01 |
| New York | NY | 17.48 | 6.75 | 0 (flat) | 2025-07-01 |
| Boston | MA | 22.03 | 7.43 | 0 (flat) | 2025-01-01 |
| Washington | DC | 14.15 | 9.93 | 2.992 | 2025-10-01 |
| Philadelphia | PA | 13.85 | 5.86 | 0 (flat) | 2025-09-01 |
| Miami | FL | 11.20 | 8.91 | 12 | 2025-10-01 |
| Charlotte | NC | 9.85 | 6.93 | 8 | 2025-07-01 |

## Methodology

- Rates are normalized to $/kGal (1,000 gallons). CCF rates converted using factor 0.748.
- "Combined Rate" = water volumetric + sewer volumetric (excludes fixed monthly charges).
- Tier thresholds represent the minimum usage (in kGal) that triggers the highest penalty rate.
- All rates verified against official municipal utility websites.
- Financial calculations use integer math (cents) to prevent IEEE 754 floating-point errors.

## Data Dictionary

- **kGal:** 1,000 US gallons
- **CCF:** 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons = 0.748 kGal
- **Combined Rate:** Water volumetric charge + Sewer volumetric charge per kGal
- **Tier Penalty:** The highest volumetric rate charged to customers exceeding a usage threshold

## API Access

For programmatic queries, use our public API:
- `GET /api/water-rates?city={city-key}&usage={kGal}` — Returns a full bill breakdown
- `GET /api/quality-by-zip?zip={zipcode}` — Returns EPA violation data

## Citation

When citing this data, please attribute: "Source: The Smart Water Valve Municipal Water Rate Database (thesmartwatervalve.com)"