Ames 2026 Commercial Water, Sewer, and Stormwater Rates: Which Bill Lines Change
Ames standard-commercial water, meter, sewer, and stormwater charges for 2026, with mailed-bill seasons and a bounded 10,000-to-8,000-cubic-foot model.
Direct answer
The City of Ames lists standard-commercial water at $0.0389 per cubic foot on bills mailed July 1–October 31 and $0.0298 on bills mailed November 1–June 30. In a declared summer example, 10,000 to 8,000 cubic feet changes the included subtotal by $148.00. Meter, sewer-service, and stormwater lines stay unchanged; other service classes follow separate schedules.
$0.0389
Summer water
Per cubic foot; bills mailed July 1–October 31
$0.0298
Winter water
Per cubic foot; bills mailed November 1–June 30
$243.42
Two-inch service
Per billing period in the declared model
$3.51
Sewer volume
Per 100 cubic feet, plus $13.73 per billing period
Class, season, and bill-line map
Classify the Ames account before applying a rate
The City publishes different paths for standard commercial, separately metered irrigation or cooling, and qualifying non-peaking industrial service. This page models only the declared standard-commercial summer path.
- Bill line or account
- Standard commercial — summer
- How to treat it
- Usage-linked: $0.0389 per cubic foot for bills mailed July 1–October 31. The billing window, not an assumed consumption season, selects this rate.
- Bill line or account
- Standard commercial — winter
- How to treat it
- Usage-linked: $0.0298 per cubic foot for bills mailed November 1–June 30. It is outside the declared summer model.
- Bill line or account
- Two-inch water service
- How to treat it
- Fixed in the comparison: $243.42 per billing period for the declared meter size. Confirm the actual meter before using it.
- Bill line or account
- Sewer volume and service
- How to treat it
- Split the lines: $3.51 per 100 cubic feet is usage-linked; $13.73 per billing period stays unchanged in the comparison.
- Bill line or account
- Nonresidential stormwater
- How to treat it
- Site-based and outside the usage result: the declared 50,000-square-foot impervious area falls in the $15.60 monthly tier. Confirm the City’s narrow MS4-permit exemption before applying it.
- Bill line or account
- Irrigation, yard, or cooling service
- How to treat it
- Separate seasonal schedule: do not transfer the standard-commercial rates or the declared example.
- Bill line or account
- Qualifying non-peaking industrial service
- How to treat it
- Separate class and seasonal schedule: verify qualification and use its own official rates.
- Bill line or account
- Other account lines
- How to treat it
- Multiple-unit charges, fire service, taxes, penalties, deposits, timing differences, and adjustments are outside the model.
Controlling official source
The current Utility Rates page owns the 2026 numbers
The City’s current Utility Rates page identifies a 3.5% standard-commercial water change effective July 1, 2026 and publishes the seasonal water, meter-size service, sewer, and stormwater values used here. Ordinance 4595 provides the adoption and July 1 effective-date record.
A separate Water and Pollution Control page still displays 2025 water values. It is not used here as evidence for any 2026 number. A commercial forecast should retain the source URL and retrieval date so a later City revision can be reconciled to the bill.
Mailed-bill season
The standard-commercial water rate changes with the bill-mailing window
For bills mailed July 1 through October 31, the current page lists standard-commercial water at $0.0389 per cubic foot. For bills mailed November 1 through June 30, it lists $0.0298 per cubic foot.
Do not recast those windows as consumption dates or annualize one example. Record the bill-mailing date, service period, class, and any adjustment before selecting a rate.
Meter and sewer mechanics
A two-inch service charge stays fixed while sewer volume follows metered water
The declared two-inch standard-commercial water service charge is $243.42 per billing period. The sewer schedule combines a $13.73 charge per billing period with $3.51 per 100 cubic feet based on metered water use.
That split matters: lower included volume changes the water and sewer-volume arithmetic, but not either declared service amount. A different meter or billing treatment requires a new calculation.
Impervious-area charge
Stormwater follows site area, not metered cubic feet
The current page lists four nonresidential stormwater tiers based on impervious area. A declared 50,000-square-foot site falls in the 30,000.01-to-90,000-square-foot tier at $15.60 per month.
The page also states a narrow exemption for qualifying MS4-permitted accounts. Verify the actual permit condition with the City. Do not treat a lower water reading as a stormwater reduction.
Separate service paths
Irrigation, cooling, industrial, and multiple-unit treatment stays separate
Separately metered irrigation, yard, or cooling service follows a different seasonal schedule. Qualifying non-peaking industrial service also has a distinct path, and multiple-unit treatment can add account-specific exposure.
Those services may be commercially important, but none inherits the standard-commercial example. Classify every meter and printed line before combining property totals.
Commercial bill implication
Two usage-linked lines create the declared difference
At the declared summer rate, 2,000 fewer cubic feet changes water by $77.80 and sewer volume by $70.20. The two-inch service charge, sewer-service charge, and declared stormwater tier stay equal between columns.
This is Smart Valve arithmetic applied to public rates, not a City quote, account forecast, or guaranteed result. Operational feasibility and every excluded bill line require separate review.
Smart Valve analysis — declared partial-bill example
One standard-commercial summer bill at 10,000 versus 8,000 cubic feet
Assume the standard-commercial summer path, one two-inch meter, sewer volume equal to metered water, a 50,000-square-foot impervious-area tier, and one aligned billing period. Only the listed five lines are included.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all columns.
| Included line | 10,000 ft³ | 8,000 ft³ | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water volume | $389.00 | $311.20 | Decrease $77.80 |
| Two-inch water service | $243.42 | $243.42 | Unchanged |
| Sewer volume | $351.00 | $280.80 | Decrease $70.20 |
| Sewer service | $13.73 | $13.73 | Unchanged |
| Stormwater — declared tier 3 | $15.60 | $15.60 | Unchanged |
| Declared included subtotal | $1,012.75 | $864.75 | Decrease $148.00 |
The $148.00 is the difference between two declared partial-bill subtotals. It excludes multiple-unit charges, irrigation or cooling, non-peaking industrial service, fire, taxes, penalties, deposits, billing-period differences, adjustments, and site feasibility.
20% usage check
$148.00
Modeled partial-bill difference at 20% lower standard-commercial volume
The declared change is $77.80 on water volume plus $70.20 on sewer volume. The two-inch water service, $13.73 sewer service, and $15.60 stormwater line remain unchanged.
Boundary: This is reproducible arithmetic under stated assumptions, not guaranteed savings or a whole-bill estimate. Separate service classes and every excluded line require their own evidence.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm the City of Ames account and standard-commercial class; identify every separate meter or service path.
- 2Use the bill-mailing date to select the July–October or November–June standard-commercial water rate.
- 3Verify the actual meter size and keep its per-billing-period service charge separate from volume.
- 4Confirm billed cubic feet and whether the sewer-volume line follows the same metered-water basis.
- 5Verify impervious area, stormwater tier, and the City’s exact MS4-permit exemption condition.
- 6Separate multiple-unit, irrigation, cooling, industrial, fire, tax, penalty, deposit, and adjustment lines.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
After the account class, mailed-bill season, meter, volume, sewer basis, and site-based charges are confirmed, a commercial team can review leaks, operating loads, and pressure conditions that may affect controllable metered use.
Smart Valve does not change the City’s service charges, stormwater tier, class, billing window, fire service, taxes, penalties, or adjustments. It cannot guarantee a usage change or bill result, and a 20% comparison does not make excluded lines reducible.
Related commercial water decisions
Track Midwest commercial utility decisions
Follow official water, sewer, stormwater, drought, and billing signals across the region.
Separate Central Iowa operating guidance from the Ames bill
CIWW owns regional operating context; the City of Ames owns this local account and rate schedule.
Separate fixed and usage-linked bill lines
Classify service, volume, sewer, and property-based charges before modeling.
Map industrial and cooling loads to the correct service path
Use the industrial workflow only after confirming that the account does not belong in this standard-commercial example.
Run a directional usage screen
The calculator does not reproduce Ames classes, mailed-bill seasons, meter charges, sewer treatment, or stormwater tiers.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, Smart Valve arithmetic, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
What are Ames standard-commercial water rates in 2026?
The current City page lists $0.0389 per cubic foot for bills mailed July 1–October 31 and $0.0298 per cubic foot for bills mailed November 1–June 30. The bill-mailing window selects the rate.
Which Ames lines change in the declared 20% volume comparison?
Only standard-commercial water volume and usage-linked sewer volume change. The declared two-inch water service, sewer-service charge, and impervious-area stormwater tier remain equal.
Does lower Ames water use reduce the nonresidential stormwater fee?
Not under the inspected schedule. Nonresidential stormwater follows impervious-area tiers. Confirm the City’s exact MS4-permit exemption separately; do not infer a stormwater change from lower metered use.
Does this model cover irrigation, cooling, or non-peaking industrial service?
No. Those services follow separate class or seasonal schedules. The model also excludes multiple-unit charges and every fire, tax, penalty, deposit, timing, and account-specific adjustment line.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Published: Current 2026 scheduleEffective: July 1, 2026 for the standard-commercial water changeRetrieved: August 3, 2026
Controlling official source for the 2026 standard-commercial seasonal water rates, meter-size service charges, sewer formula, nonresidential stormwater tiers, and separate irrigation, cooling, and non-peaking-industrial paths.
Source URL: https://www.cityofames.org/My-Government/Departments/Utilities/Utility-Rates (opens in a new tab)
Published: Recently adopted ordinance indexEffective: July 1, 2026 for Ordinance 4595Retrieved: August 3, 2026
Official index identifying Ordinance 4595 as the water and sewer rate amendment effective July 1, 2026.
Effective: July 1, 2026Retrieved: August 3, 2026
Direct official ordinance record for the adopted water and sewer amendment. The current Utility Rates page controls the dollar values reproduced on this page.
Source URL: https://www.cityofames.org/files/assets/city/v/1/legal/ordinances/ord.no.4595.pdf (opens in a new tab)
Editorial contact
Media & product inquiries
Send relevant corrections, launch information, approved assets, or testing opportunities to thesmartwatervalve@gmail.com. Contact does not guarantee coverage, favorable treatment, commercial placement, or a review.
Classify the Ames account before estimating any change
Bring the current bill, service period, meter size, standard-commercial class, cubic-foot volume, sewer treatment, impervious-area tier, and excluded services into one source-backed review.