TMWA 2026 Commercial Water Rate Redesign: Meter Charges and $2.45/kgal
TMWA’s May 2026 general commercial schedule pairs meter-capacity customer charges with a $2.45/kgal commodity rate. See a bounded two-inch water-only model.
Direct answer
Effective May 1, 2026, TMWA’s general commercial schedule uses meter-capacity customer charges plus one $2.45-per-1,000-gallon commodity rate. In a declared two-inch water-only example, the included partial total is $369.98 at 100 kgal and $320.98 at 80 kgal—a $49.00 modeled commodity difference—while the $124.98 fixed charge does not change.
$2.45
Commodity rate
Per 1,000 gallons
$124.98
Two-inch fixed
Monthly customer charge
100 → 80
Declared volume
kgal in one comparable period
$49.00
Modeled difference
Included water lines only
General commercial meter map
Use the meter size to find the fixed customer charge
The stamped General Metered Commercial Water Service schedule applies when no other TMWA schedule applies. The commodity rate is uniform, but the customer charge changes by meter capacity.
| Meter size | Monthly customer charge and condition |
|---|---|
| 3/4 inch | $21.87 |
| 1 inch | $34.37 |
| 1.5 inch | $93.74 |
| 2 inch | $124.98 |
| 3 inch | $218.72; the schedule says this size is closed to new applications. |
| 4 inch | $374.94 |
| 6 inch | $843.62 |
| 8 inches or larger | $999.85 |
| Commodity at every listed size | $2.45 per 1,000 gallons. |
Timing and class
TMWA says the May rate action appeared on June 2026 bills
TMWA’s official rate-update page says its Board approved a 3.5% May 2026 annual increase and a separate cost-of-service rate-structure update. Both changes were reflected on June 2026 bills. The stamped schedule is amended May 1, 2026.
Commercial accounts moved from tiered usage pricing to a uniform commodity rate, while customer charges were updated by meter capacity. The General Metered Commercial Water Service schedule applies only when no other schedule applies, so irrigation or another assigned service class must be reviewed separately.
Fixed capacity line
Meter size sets the customer charge that remains in both scenarios
The official customer-charge map runs from $21.87 for a 3/4-inch meter to $999.85 for an 8-inch-or-larger meter. The declared model uses the published $124.98 charge for one two-inch meter.
Lower modeled volume does not remove that customer charge. A reader should verify the service class and meter size on the account before transferring any number from this page.
Commodity line
One $2.45/kgal rate replaces the prior commercial tiers
The stamped general commercial schedule lists $2.45 per 1,000 gallons for every meter size. At 100 kgal, that commodity line is $245.00; at 80 kgal, it is $196.00.
That produces the declared $49.00 commodity difference. It does not establish the change in a complete bill because other fixed, separate-service, fee, tax, and account-specific lines can remain.
Separate charges
Regional, right-of-way, fire, irrigation, and other lines stay outside the model
The commercial schedule says the minimum charge can also include the regional water-management fee, right-of-way toll, and applicable late-payment charge. The declared model excludes those lines along with fire service, taxes, adjustments, and account-specific treatment.
TMWA publishes irrigation under a separate schedule. Sewer or wastewater may also come from another biller or schedule. None of those lines is assumed to move with the commodity calculation below.
Bill-first decision
Reconcile the service class, meter, and billing period before estimating
Start with the bill’s service description, meter size, metered kgal, customer charge, commodity line, and service dates. Confirm that the account is general commercial rather than irrigation or another class.
TMWA says individual effects vary by customer class, meter size, and use. The utility’s account record and current statement control if a bill differs from this bounded example.
Smart Valve analysis — water-only example
One general-commercial two-inch meter at 100 versus 80 kgal
The calculation assumes one two-inch meter, one General Metered Commercial Water Service account, one comparable billing period, and no proration or account-specific adjustment.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all columns.
| Included water line | 100 kgal | 80 kgal | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-inch customer charge | $124.98 | $124.98 | $0.00 |
| Commodity at $2.45/kgal | $245.00 | $196.00 | $49.00 |
| Included partial total | $369.98 | $320.98 | $49.00 |
Only the commodity row changes. The customer charge remains $124.98. Regional water-management, right-of-way, late, sewer, irrigation, fire, tax, proration, adjustment, and other account-specific lines are excluded.
20% usage check
$49.00
Included-line modeled difference at 20% lower volume
Moving the declared account from 100 to 80 kgal changes the included commodity line by $49.00 while the two-inch $124.98 customer charge remains.
Boundary: This is a water-only partial-bill illustration, not a TMWA bill quote or savings promise. It assumes one general-commercial two-inch meter and excludes regional, right-of-way, late, sewer, irrigation, fire, tax, proration, adjustment, and site-feasibility effects.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm the account is General Metered Commercial Water Service rather than irrigation or another schedule.
- 2Record the utility meter size and match it to the fixed customer-charge map.
- 3Verify the commodity line uses $2.45 per 1,000 gallons.
- 4Check the billed kgal and service dates for the comparable period.
- 5Identify regional water-management, right-of-way, late, fire, tax, and adjustment lines separately.
- 6Locate sewer or wastewater on the same bill or a separate utility statement.
- 7Keep fixed and excluded lines outside any usage-linked estimate.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
Smart Valve may help a Reno–Sparks property team evaluate controllable metered water volume after the service class, meter size, pressure conditions, operating uses, and billing period are confirmed. The declared example isolates only the verified general-commercial commodity line.
Smart Valve does not change TMWA’s customer charge, meter size, rate, regional water-management fee, right-of-way toll, fire service, irrigation class, sewer, taxes, penalties, or account adjustments. No device fit or result is guaranteed.
Related commercial water decisions
Track Mountain West commercial utility decisions
Follow adopted rates, drought rules, capacity costs, and billing changes across the region.
Compare another meter-charge decision
Tucson uses different charges and tiers; its schedule does not transfer to a TMWA account.
Use the national rate library as a comparison method
The library does not reproduce this TMWA commercial schedule; the official sources below control.
Separate fixed and usage-linked bill lines
Classify customer, commodity, sewer, fee, and account-specific charges before modeling.
Build a source-backed reduction plan
Move from bill classification to operating checks and qualified usage scenarios.
Prepare the TMWA bill review
Collect class, meter, kgal, service dates, fixed charges, and separate-line evidence first.
Use the calculator as a directional usage check
It does not reproduce TMWA’s local meter charges, other fees, or account-specific treatment.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, calculations, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
What changed in TMWA’s May 2026 general commercial schedule?
General commercial accounts moved from tiered usage rates to one $2.45/kgal commodity rate, while the customer charge is set by meter capacity. TMWA says the May changes appeared on June 2026 bills.
Does lower use reduce the TMWA meter-capacity charge?
No in the declared model. The two-inch $124.98 customer charge remains in both columns; only the $2.45/kgal commodity line changes.
What does the 100-to-80 kgal TMWA example include and exclude?
It includes one two-inch customer charge and general-commercial commodity volume. It excludes regional water-management, right-of-way, late, sewer, irrigation, fire, tax, proration, adjustment, and account-specific lines.
Is the $49.00 difference a whole-bill savings estimate?
No. It is the modeled difference on the included commodity line for one declared water-only account. It is not a bill quote, guaranteed savings figure, or proof of site feasibility.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Effective: May 2026Status checked: July 20, 2026Retrieved: July 20, 2026
Official explanation of the 3.5% annual action, cost-of-service redesign, general commercial move to one uniform usage rate, meter-capacity customer charges, and individual-account variability.
Source URL: https://tmwa.com/2026-rates/
Effective: Amended May 1, 2026Retrieved: July 20, 2026
Stamped official schedule for general commercial applicability, customer charges by meter capacity, the $2.45/kgal commodity rate, the three-inch application condition, and additional minimum-charge lines.
Source URL: https://tmwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Fully-Combined-Rate-Sheets-05.01.26-final-draft-STAMPED.pdf
Audit the TMWA water line before estimating a reduction
Start with service class, meter size, fixed charge, kgal, service dates, and every separate fee or utility line. Treat $49.00 as a declared commodity model difference, not promised savings.