Wastewater Utility

In the City of Racine, sanitary sewer billing is generally based on the assumption that all water measured by a Racine Water Utility meter is discharged into the sanitary sewer system. However, not all water ends up in the sewer—some may be lost through evaporation, irrigation, cooling systems, production processes, or other uses.

To account for this, the Racine Wastewater Utility offers a sewer bill credit option for water that doesn’t enter the sewer. This option is available only to industrial, commercial, public authority, or multi-residential properties with three or more units located within the City of Racine.

To qualify for the credit, the water loss must be measured using a dedicated water meter that is equipped with an Orion series transmitter.

Please note: This credit option is not available to residential customers.

Certain requirementsA thing that is needed or wanted. must be met in order to qualify for water usage credit, as follows:

• The applicant must first obtain any necessary WPDES general discharge permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. To review requirementsA thing that is needed or wanted. and permit applications visit:  WASTEWATER GENERAL PERMITS
• The applicant must complete and return the Racine Wastewater Utility Credit Meter Application form, including a copy of DNR permit approval (if applicable) and a clear sketch and/or pictures of the proposed credit meter locations and plumbing changes.
• After approval, the applicant will be notified and required to purchase a credit meter from the Racine Water Utility                   262-636-9186. A credit meter is a meter that measures the amount of non-contaminated water not entering the sanitary sewer system.
• The applicant is required to obtain a plumbing permit through the City of Racine Building Department and hire a licensed plumber to install any meter. The meter is to be located downstream of the primary incoming water meter in a permanent, heated location.
  The plumber is to fill out the section on page 2 of the application certifying that the plumbing follows the submitted sketches/pictures and water does not enter the sewer system. For questions regarding plumbing, contact your local plumbing authority. (City of Racine: 262-636-9164.)
  Please note: Some applications may require more than one meter. For example: Cooling towers would require one meter on the blow down to sanitary and another to measure the water feeding the tower. The Wastewater Utility may approve alternate metering schemes on a case-by-case basis.
• After installation is complete, the applicant will need to contact the Racine Wastewater Utility 262-636-9552 and the Racine Water Utility 262-636-9186 to set up a time for inspection. Only after the installation is inspected, will a credit be given.
  Please note: Inspection by the Racine Wastewater Utility is to ensure discharge through the meter is not going to sanitary. Inspection by the Racine Water Utility is to ensure meter is installed correctly.
• The credit meter is to be maintained by the applicant. If a reading cannot be made due to meter malfunction, it is the applicant’s responsibility to fix or replace the meter.
• All credits will be applied to the water/sewer bill. For any billing questions, please contact Racine Water & Wastewater Utilities at 262-636-9181.
• The Racine Water and Wastewater Utilities reserve the right to inspect or require outside calibrationThe process of checking a measuring instrument to see if it is accurate/certification for the credit meter as necessary to ensure proper function and complianceThe act or process of complying to a desire, demand, proposal, or regimen or to coercion..