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Council Approves Sewer Rates & Charges Increase
(en Español)
April, 2008
Last year, Redwood City let its sewer customers know that gradual sewer rate adjustments would be required for the coming years. These increases are needed in order to fund necessary rebuilding of aging facilities, meet new mandated regulatory permit requirements, and keep rates aligned with the actual cost of providing sewer service in our community.
In line with that pronouncement, the City Council approved a sewer rate increase for 2008, at a public hearing held on April 28th, 2008.
The new rates will be effective on June 20th, 2008. All bills generated on or after that date will be impacted by the new rates.
The monthly basic service charge for residential sewer customers will increase from the current $35.66 to a new rate of $41.01 (an increase of $5.35 per month – or about 15%).
Changes to Monthly Basic Service Charge for RESIDENTIAL Customers
Current Monthly Rate |
New Monthly Rate |
$ Increase Per Month |
$35.66 |
$41.01 |
$5.35 |
The minimum monthly charge for all commercial sewer customer types will increase to $41.01. The new commercial usage rates, for water usage above the minimum charge, are based on the number of units of water used, depending on the type of business.
Changes to Usage Rates for COMMERCIAL Customers
COMMERCIAL Customers
(Non-Residential) |
Current
rate per unit |
New rate
per unit |
$ Increase
per unit |
| Institutional / Public |
$2.63 |
$3.02 |
$ .39 |
| Retail / Commercial |
$2.93 |
$3.37 |
$ .44 |
| Hospitals |
$2.93 |
$3.37 |
$ .44 |
| Restaurants |
$7.10 |
$8.17 |
$1.07 |
| Supermarkets |
$7.10 |
$8.17 |
$1.07 |
| Industrial |
$2.34 |
$2.69 |
$ .35 |
Background
Redwood City provides wastewater service to approximately 26,500 residential and 1,500 commercial customers located in and around the City. Wastewater is collected via a network of 180 miles of sewer pipelines and 31 wastewater pump stations, and is then transported to the SBSA for treatment and disposal.
The City has a comprehensive, long-term financial plan for the sewer utility. A gradual phasing-in of a series of modest sewer rate increases started in 2007, and this year that gradual increase will continue, in order to meet long- term operating and capital needs.
Why These Sewer Rate Increases are Necessary
The City’s sewer utility is self-supporting, which means that it is funded primarily by sewer service charges to customers. Sewer rates must be adequate to fund the operations, maintenance, and capital improvement expenses of the City’s collection system, as well as for the regional wastewater treatment plant.
Over the coming years, increased funding is necessary for the repair and replacement of aging City sewer infrastructure - many of the City’s sewer pipelines are over 70 years old and approaching the end of their useful life. This will help to ensure that the community continues to have safe and reliable sewer service. The City also faces new costs for state-mandated preventive maintenance programs.
Additionally, the South Bayside System Authority (SBSA) (a regional wastewater treatment facility where Redwood City’s waste water is treated) is embarking on over $300 million of long-term capital needs projects. Based on Redwood City’s share of wastewater flow to the SBSA facility, the City will be required to fund about $94 million in projects at the treatment plant over the next decade, including $72 million of high-priority projects within five years. These projects are needed to replace old facilities and enable the regional sewer plant to meet new, stricter wastewater permit requirements.
For more information on sewer and wasterwater issues, please feel free to
contact our Public Works Services staff at 650-780-7464, or send an email to mharang@redwoodcity.org
(Go to Sewer Services main page)
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