Vicksburg’s public rate sources do not give one consistent answer for 6,000 gallons of residential water and sewer service. Checked September 21, 2026, the dedicated City webpages imply $47.10 in selected inside-City components. The schedules displayed in the municipal code imply $60.80 for the same usage and a water meter up to 3/4 inch.
Those are calculations from different source inputs, not competing quotes or confirmation of what your account should be charged. Our earlier $52.16 figure combined inputs without adequately resolving their authority. It should not be used as an assured current subtotal.
Where the inputs diverge
The comparison below holds inside-City residential service constant. “Additional” means gallons after the first 2,000; the water rate shown covers the next 8,000 gallons, not unlimited use.
| Record checked | First 2,000 gallons | Rate per additional 1,000 gallons | What the record establishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Water Rates page | $5.00, meter up to 3/4 inch | $3.70 | Webpage inputs; no effective date established |
| Water and Gas Office FAQ example | $10.06 | $3.07 | A worked example that differs from the dedicated page |
| Code section 23-42(c)(1) | $10.06, meter up to 3/4 inch | $3.70 | Schedule stated from October 1, 2019 until changed |
| Dedicated Sewer Rates page | $12.90 | $3.60 | Webpage inputs; no effective date established |
| Code section 23-93(b)(2)(a) | $16.10 | $4.96 | Residential schedule stated from October 1, 2019 |
The code interface identifies its compilation as August 14, 2026. That is distinct from the schedules’ October 2019 effective dates. We have not established whether a later uncodified action changes the rate for a particular billing period. Nor do we have evidence showing when the undated webpages acquired their figures.
Two reproducible examples, kept separate
At 6,000 gallons, the first 2,000 are covered by each minimum; four additional thousands remain.
Using only the two dedicated rate pages:
- Water: $5.00 + (4 × $3.70) = $19.80.
- Sewer: $12.90 + (4 × $3.60) = $27.30.
- Selected components: $19.80 + $27.30 = $47.10.
Using the two displayed code schedules:
- Water: $10.06 + (4 × $3.70) = $24.86.
- Sewer: $16.10 + (4 × $4.96) = $35.94.
- Selected components: $24.86 + $35.94 = $60.80.
The $13.70 difference comes from $5.06 in water and $8.64 in sewer inputs. It is not evidence that an individual customer was overcharged or undercharged. Mixing the code water minimum with the dedicated sewer inputs reproduces our former $52.16, but does not resolve which complete schedule applies.
For an outside-City residential account with both services, applying the code’s doubling provisions to the code-based example gives $121.60. Do not apply that result to every outside account: section 23-93 treats certain sewer-only customers separately, and this report does not classify addresses.
Ask for the schedule used on your bill
Contact the Water and Gas Office at 601-636-3414 or wgoffice@vicksburg.org. A useful request is:
Please identify the adopted water and sewer rate schedule and effective date used for my billing period. Please confirm my residential classification, meter size, inside/outside treatment, billed usage units, and the minimum and usage portions of each charge.
Keep the utility’s answer with the bill. A link to an undated webpage alone leaves the discrepancy unresolved. If the response supplies a later ordinance or rate notice, compare its effective period before reusing any example here. We have not contacted the City or inspected a customer’s account.
These calculations exclude gas, refuse, taxes, fees, balances, credits, proration and other account adjustments. For the wider distinction between a reproducible formula and a comparable price, see LSL’s utility calculation methods resource.
How this correction was checked
LSL rechecked the three City webpages, expanded the office’s calculation FAQ and read both relevant code sections, including their effective-date language and outside-service qualifications, on September 21. The dedicated water page displayed $5.00, not the $6.90 recorded in our previous comparison. We corrected the input and independently recomputed the totals; we have not established when or why the discrepancy arose. The overdue follow-up remains open until the utility’s applicable adopted schedule can be established. No rate change, refund or private billing outcome is inferred.