Average monthly wastewater charges have increased by 3.4 percent in California over the last two years, according to a recently completed survey by the Management Consulting Division at Black & Veatch.
The information was included in the firm's 2000 California Wastewater Rate Survey, which provides comparative information on wastewater charges for single family residential customers.
The survey examined the rates in 420 cities and districts. In order to develop a uniform comparison of typical residential wastewater charges, survey findings were based on 1200 cubic feet per month for those rates based on volume.
The survey found the average monthly charges for the utilities surveyed increased to $18.29 in 2000 from $17.69 in 1998. The highest rate found was $88.75 and the lowest was $5.50.
About half the cities and district are continuing to increase rates to pay for the costs of providing wastewater treatment, while the other half are holding rates constant or actually reducing rates. While fewer cities experienced increases, the amount of those increases was up from the previous survey.
The survey also compared rate structure information for each city and service area. It found that 86 percent of the surveyed utilities have a flat rate structure and 13 percent have a volume-based system. That reflected a gradual shift toward volume based rates, which are the predominant rate form in the rest of the United States. For example, in Texas and Florida, 97 percent of rates are based on some measure of water volume used.
Of those utilities in California using a volume-based system, rates on average are about 50 percent greater than those with flat rates, the survey found.
Some 97 percent of the surveyed cities/districts charged a sewer connection fee to help fund new facilities. The survey found that the average connection fee had increased approximately 2 percent from the 1998 survey, to $2,323. The connection fees in California ranged from nothing to $13,606.
The Black & Veatch survey is free to cities and districts. To request copies, contact: Andi Budianto, 6 Venture, Suite 315, Irvine, CA 92618. Tel: (949) 788-4229; e-mail: budiantoa @bv.com.
