Topeka customers may notice utility bill change, impact vacant property owners

TOPEKA (KSNT) – If you use water from the City of Topeka, you may see a change on your monthly utility bill, but it doesn’t pertain to everyone.

The City of Topeka shared on social media that customers can now expect to see the formerly titled “base charge” to appear as “readiness to serve charge” in the “account activity” column on the monthly utility bill.

This is a monthly fee based on the size of the meter and the location of the property, inside and outside of Topeka city limits.

For a majority of utility customers, this fee isn’t new and brings no change, according to the city’s social media post. For owners of vacant property that use water from the City of Topeka, this charge now establishes a fee to maintain infrastructure that allows the utility to be “ready to serve” that property.

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