Whenever sewer laterals are to be laid and connected to the sewer mains of the city, or whenever a property is converted to a more intensive use, the person, firm, or corporation desiring to lay and connect the same or change the use shall apply in writing to the city engineer, through the building permit and development review process, stating the location of the premises effected. Upon receipt of the application, the city engineer shall approve the necessary permits and collect such capacity charges and inspection fees as may be established by the city council from time to time.
(1940 Code § 1650, Ord. 1118 § 1, (1978); Ord. 1235 § 1, (1982); Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983); Ord. 1995 § 2, (2021))
(a) 
Any person requesting a connection to a sewer system shall, as a condition of the connection, pay a charge for each separate building site based upon the following schedule.
Residential
Type
Capacity Charges
Single-Family
$9,834.00 per dwelling unit
Multifamily
Two or More Bedrooms
$6,808.00 per dwelling unit
Studio and One Bedroom
$4,623.00 per dwelling unit
Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), > 150 square feet
$4.10 per square foot
Nonresidential
Water Meter Size
AWWA Meter Capacity Ratio
Capacity Charge Per Connection
¾-inch
1.00
$18,912.00
1-inch
1.67
$31,521.00
1½-inch
3.33
$63,041.00
2-inch
5.33
$100,866.00
3-inch
10.00
$189,124.00
4-inch
16.67
$315,206.00
(b) 
Capacity charges for residential connections are applied per subsection (a) of this section. For existing singlefamily residential connections, no additional capacity charges would apply to a home remodeling or expansion project, even if the project results in the need to increase the water meter size whether for fire flow or other purposes. For existing multifamily connections, capacity charges will apply for new units per subsection (a) based on number and type and will be credited for existing units, if any, per subsection (a) based on number and type.
(c) 
Capacity charges for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are applied based on square footage in compliance with the requirements of Government Code Section 65852.2 with the exception that no capacity charges may be levied on ADUs built within the existing living area of a primary residence and if the total expansion itself is less than 150 square feet. Capacity charges for detached ADUs and ADUs that are an expansion of more than 150 square feet to the primary residence shall be as per the fees presented under subsection (a) of this section and these charges will be applied to the entire square footage of the expansion.
(d) 
Capacity charges for nonresidential sewer connections are applied based on the water meter size of each new connection, which serves as a reasonable proxy for sewer system demand. Any land use category that does not fall into residential will be considered nonresidential. For existing nonresidential connections, whenever an upsize of water meter is required, the property owner is required to pay capacity charges for the incremental increase in sewer demand generated by this upsize. Sewer demands are determined utilizing meter capacity ratios based on American Water Works Association (AWWA) standard meter capacities. Sewer capacity charges should not be levied on irrigation meters or on new private fire service connections.
(e) 
For a meter size that is not presented in the above table, the costs will be calculated utilizing the AWWA standard meter capacity of proposed water meter size, using the costs set forth in subsection (a) of this section for scheduled fees.
(f) 
These capacity charges do not exempt a developer from having to fund the upsizing of infrastructure in cases where the existing infrastructure is inadequate to meet the sewer demands of the project.
(g) 
Capacity charges for standard connections are shown above. Connections with higher levels of estimated wastewater discharge than assumed for each customer class maybe assessed higher charges than shown based on the sewer capacity charge per gallons per day multiplied by the estimated volume of wastewater discharge of the new or expanded connection as determined by the city.
(h) 
The schedule listed in subsection (a) of this section shall be adjusted annually to conform to the latest Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index for the city of San Francisco using 13,762 as the base index as of July 2021. The capacity charges listed in subsection (a) of this section shall therefore be multiplied by the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index for the city of San Francisco in effect on January 1, and the result divided by 13,762 to obtain the capacity charge to be implemented.
(Ord. 1235 § 2, (1982); Ord. 1995 § 3, (2021))
Every lot, piece and parcel of land in the city as originally subdivided and shown on the official subdivision map recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county of San Mateo shall be entitled to at least one sewer service lateral connecting from the main sewer to the particular piece or parcel of land, capable of being used for building purposes when the piece or parcel of land has a street or alley frontage of 50 feet or more and when the street or alley frontage is less than 50 feet as shown on the original subdivision record as mentioned in this section and the piece or parcel of land is capable of being used for building purposes, then only one service lateral will be granted to the piece or parcel of land; and when the particular piece or parcel of land is on a corner and frontage on the street or alley, the lateral service will be on the basis only of the official width of the property as appears on the original subdivision record in the office of the county recorder of San Mateo County as mentioned in this section.
(1941 Code § 1652, Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983))
Whenever any person, firm or corporation has made or is to make a rearrangement of his, her or its property on the street or alley frontage, it shall be necessary, before any sewer lateral service is given to any property, piece or parcel of land so rearranged, that such person, firm or corporation shall apply in writing to the city council for the desired sewer service lateral, and attached to the application shall be a drawing of the piece or parcel of land as rearranged.
It shall be within the discretion at all times of the city council to grant or deny the application as required in this section and under such times and conditions as it deems proper.
(1941 Code § 1652, Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983))
All sewer lateral connections from the street or alley mains shall be made on a direct connection thereto and shall be a separate and distinct connection, no sublateral being permitted.
(1941 Code § 1654, Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983))
As used in Sections 15.08.070 through 15.08.110, the following words shall have the meanings given in this section:
"Industrial"
refers to a user which may be subject to any pretreatment program established by the city.
"Person"
means and includes individuals, partnerships, associations and corporations.
"Premises"
refers to and includes a lot, parcel of land, building or establishment.
"Sewage"
is defined as water or a combination of water and waterborne wastes conducted from residences, commercial buildings and institutions and which is known as domestic sewage; also the liquid or water-carried waste resulting from commercial manufacturing or industrial operation or process, which water or waterborne wastes enter the system of sewerage, or any part thereof, of the city from any premises having a connection therewith or thereto.
(1941 Code § 1725, Ord. 444, (1947); Ord. 1064 § 1, (1974); Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983))
Every person whose premises in the city are served by a connection with the system of sewerage of the city, whereby the sewerage or industrial wastes, or either or both, are disposed by the city, shall pay a bimonthly sewer charge based upon the quantity of metered water per bimonthly billing period whether such water is derived from a source other than city water supply or all or part of such water is furnished to the premises without charge. The city council shall establish by resolution such fees, charges, rate schedules and procedures as may be necessary for the administration of sewerage service. The director of public works shall determine the classification of uses not specifically listed. The finance director shall have the discretion and authority to establish a different sewer charge when circumstances such as water leaks or unseasonable or atypical water usage cause established rates to result in inequitably low or high sewer charges; any such determination shall be reviewed by the city manager upon request from the customer. The finance director may request documentation evidencing the existence of a leak or any other problem that may have resulted in an inequitable charge.
(Ord. 444, (1947); Ord. 784, (1963); Ord. 848 § 1, (1966); Ord. 916 § 1, (1970); Ord. 1021 § 1, (1974); Ord. 1064 § 2, (1976); Ord. 1109, (1977); Ord. 1155 § 1, (1979); Ord. 1203 § 1, (1981); Ord. 1245 § 1, (1983); Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983); Ord. 1254 § 1, (1983); Ord. 1282 § 1, (1984); Ord. 1307 § 1, (1985); Ord. 1330 § 1, (1986); Ord. 1352 § 1, (1987); Ord. 1370, (1988); Ord. 1396 § 1, (1989); Ord. 1416 § 1 (1989); Ord. 1416 § 1, (1990); Ord. 1442 § 1, (1991); Ord. 1469, (1992); Ord. 1488 § 1, (1993); Ord. 1509 § 1, (1994); Ord. 1530 § 1, (1995); Ord. 1534 § 1, (1995); Ord. 1551 § 1, (1996); Ord. 1571 § 1, (1997); Ord. 1596 § 2, (1998); Ord. 1617 § 2, (1999); Ord. 1631 § 2, (2000); Ord. 1658 § 2, (2001); Ord. 1693 § 2, (2002); Ord. 1716 § 2, (2003); Ord. 1785 § 2, (2006); Ord. 1844 § 2, (2010); Ord. 1998 § 2, (2021))
(a) 
When new customer service is provided to premises classified as single-family or duplex under Section 15.08.070, the customer will be charged at a bimonthly rate as established by city council resolution.
(b) 
This established rate will be used until the customer has had service through a consecutive January, February, March, and April, and on January 1 following that consecutive period, the sewer rate for the customer will be adjusted to the applicable rate established in Section 15.08.070 of this chapter according to the water usage for those months. Following a second consecutive January, February, March, and April, the rate will be further adjusted according to the demonstrated water usage for the total eight months on January 1 following the second consecutive period.
(Ord. 1716 § 3, (2003); Ord. 1724 § 3, (2003); Ord. 1785 § 3, (2006); Ord. 1844 § 3, (2010); Ord. 1998 § 2, (2021))
Every premises determined to be within the industrial class shall provide a facility for the sampling of its effluent at a location approved by the city engineer.
(1941 Code § 1725.3, Ord. 444, (1947); Ord. 1064 § 4, (1976); Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983))
The sewer rental specified in this chapter shall be charged, collected and enforced in the same manner, at the time and by the same persons as are the charges for water furnished by the city, and the amount thereof shall be included in the total amount due for water. All provisions of this code applicable to the charge, collection and enforcement of rates for water furnished by the city are made applicable to the provisions of Sections 15.08.060 through 15.08.110.
(Ord. 1064 § 5, (1976); Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983))
All moneys received from the collection of the sewer rental charges and the sewer capacity charges as authorized shall be deposited with the city treasurer who shall keep a separate and distinct fund and account to be known as "the sewer enterprise fund." This fund shall be used, when appropriated by the council, for the management, maintenance, operation and repair of the sewage system, sewage pumping, treatment and disposal works and for the planning, extension and enlargement of the works.
(Ord. 1064 § 6, (1976); Ord. 1235 § 3, (1982); Ord. 1250 § 1, (1983); Ord. 1995 § 4, (2021))