The potable and recycled water facilities of the City, including all system parts and components are a City-owned public utility maintained and operated under the control and direction of the Board of Public Utilities in accordance with the City Charter. The services of the City potable and recycled water systems shall be provided to all users in return for payment of service charges, pursuant to this chapter, and the funds obtained by payment and collection of such charges shall be used exclusively for the uses and purposes of the water and recycled water systems and for payment of any interest on and redemption of any bonds the City has issued or may issue for potable water or recycled water system purposes, as may be directed by the City Council. It is the policy of the City that the potable water and recycled water systems be operated as a self-supporting utility and that service charges for its use shall be calculated and charged from time to time in sufficient amounts to operate and maintain the potable and recycled water systems and to provide for the expansion of the system to meet the needs of all users, without return to the general fund and other funds of the City.
(Ord. 2025-007, 4/15/2025)
The Board of Public Utilities, subject to approval of the City Council, shall periodically establish, review and revise potable water and recycled water rates and charges so that the total revenue is equal to the total cost of operating, maintaining, and expanding the City potable water and recycled water systems. The cost of operating the systems shall include the cost of providing reasonable reserves in accordance with standard public utility bookkeeping practices and the cost of providing bond interest and redemption as may be ordered by the City Council with regard to any bonds the City has issued or may issue for the potable water and recycled water system purposes. All rates and charges shall meet applicable State and Federal guidelines.
(Ord. 2025-007, 4/15/2025)
Rates and charges for potable water and recycled water service, including fixed monthly service charges and delivery charges and charges for City maintained meters on private systems, shall be established from time to time by resolution of the City Council as prescribed by the City Charter.
(Ord. 2025-007, 4/15/2025)
Water service charges shall be based on the following rules and standards:
(A) 
The standard utility accounting period shall be a fiscal year commencing July 1st and ending June 30th.
(B) 
The water fixed monthly service charge shall be payable by each user and paid with the bill for water and/or sewer service to the same premises.
(C) 
Potable and recycled water usage rate charges for residential and commercial, industrial, and institutional shall be based on actual use.
(D) 
Written notice of any proposed increase in rate and charges for potable and recycled water services shall be provided in advance of approval of any rate or charge increase.
(Ord. 2025-007, 4/15/2025)
In addition to the fixed monthly charge set forth in Section 14-04.090, users shall pay a water usage charge as described in this section. All fees set forth in this section shall remain in full force and effect until such time as the City Council modifies, amends, or replaces these fees by resolution, and upon the effective date of such resolution, the revised fees shall supersede those previously in effect.
The usage charges shall be as follows:
Single-Family and Duplex Residential Accounts (Potable Water). In addition to the fixed monthly charge set forth in Section 14-04.090, residential users shall pay a usage charge for each 1,000 gallons of water used, on billings rendered on and after July 1, 2021, and on and after July 1, for each of the following years through July 1, 2024 as follows:
Potable Water - Usage Charge
Tier*
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2021
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2022
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2023
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2024
Tier 1
$5.99
$6.17
$6.36
$6.61
Tier 2
$6.79
$6.99
$7.20
$7.49
Notes:
* Tier 1 Up to sewer cap
Tier 2 Over sewer cap
Single-family residential water-only accounts (i.e. those with no corresponding City wastewater account), and which use City water for irrigation, will be allotted a water cap for purposes of being billed at the tiered rates.
Dedicated Irrigation Accounts. Dedicated irrigation accounts are accounts that have a meter used solely for irrigation. These accounts shall have a usage charge based on site-specific water budgets.
The billing period water budget is the amount of water needed to irrigate the specific area of landscape served by the dedicated irrigation account for the specific days covered by the billing period. The billing period water budget is determined monthly in arrears for each account in accordance with the following formula:
Billing Period Water Budget = {0.7 x [ETo - EP] x [LAh + LAm] x CF}
ETo (reference evapotranspiration) = Evapotranspiration is defined as the amount of water used by the plants (transpiration) and evaporated from the soil (evaporation). It is measured in inches by the Santa Rosa California Irrigation Management Information Systems (CIMIS) weather stations. Reference evaportranspiration is a standard measurement of evapotranspiration for cool-season turf. The billing period ETo is the sum of the daily ETo for the specific days of the billing cycle.
EP (Effective Precipitation) = The depth of rainfall, measured in inches by the Santa Rosa CIMIS weather stations, that offsets ETo. It is assumed that only one-third of total rainfall offsets ETo. The billing period effective precipitation is for the specific days of the billing cycle.
LAh (landscape area high) = Square footage of site's landscape area consisting of high water use plants or uses (turfgrass, ornamental water features, annuals, plants in containers and plants with a plant factor greater than 0.6).
LAm (landscape area moderate) = Square footage of site's landscape area consisting of moderate and low water use plants (plants with a plant factor of 0.6 or less).
CF (Conversion factor) = 0.623, the number that converts square feet to gallons.
Verifications of the account site's landscape measurements may be requested by the customer. Adjustments to the landscape measurements may be made if changes, including, but not limited to, addition of landscape, changes to the plant type, or removal of landscape, are made to the connection site's landscape, however the adjustments cannot exceed the acceptable landscape plant mix as defined by the City's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Chapter 14-30). To request a verification or adjustment for the connection site, contact the Water Department.
In addition to the fixed monthly charge set forth in Section 14-04.090, dedicated irrigation users shall pay a usage charge for each 1,000 gallons of water used, on billings rendered on and after July 1, 2021, and on and after July 1, for each of the following years through July 1, 2024 as follows:
(A) For potable water use:
Irrigation Potable Water - Usage Charge
Tier*
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2021
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2022
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2023
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2024
Tier 1
$6.09
$6.27
$6.46
$6.72
Tier 2
$7.54
$7.77
$8.00
$8.32
Notes:
* Tier 1 Up to 125% of billing period water budget
Tier 2 Over 125% of billing period water budget
(B) For recycled water use:
Irrigation Recycled Water - Usage Charge
Tier*
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2021
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2022
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2023
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2024
Tier 1
$5.79
$5.96
$6.14
$6.38
Tier 2
$7.54
$7.77
$8.00
$8.32
Notes:
* Tier 1 Up to 125% of billing period water budget
Tier 2 Over 125% of billing period water budget
Multi-Unit Residential Accounts (Three Units and More). In addition to the fixed monthly charge set forth in Section 14-04.090, multifamily residential users shall pay a usage charge for each 1,000 gallons of water used, on billings rendered on and after July 1, 2021, and on and after July 1, for each of the following years through July 1, 2024 as follows:
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2021
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2022
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2023
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2024
$6.33
$6.52
$6.72
$6.98
Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Accounts. In addition to the fixed monthly charge set forth in Section 14-04.090, commercial, industrial and institutional users shall pay a usage charge for each 1,000 gallons of water used, on billings rendered on and after July 1, 2021, and on and after July 1, for each of the following years through July 1, 2024 as follows:
(A) For potable water use:
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2021
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2022
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2023
Meters Read on and After July 1, 2024
$6.33
$6.52
$6.72
$6.98
(B) For recycled water use requiring on-site treatment.
Certain customers may require special on-site treatment to utilize recycled water for some commercial, industrial, or institutional needs. The Board of Public Utilities may set usage rates for such customers on a case-by-case basis that result in the use of recycled water having the same financial impact to the customer as the use of potable water."
(Prior code § 25.3; Ord. 2243 § 1, 1982; Ord. 2304 § 2, 1983; Ord. 2654 § 2, 1987; Ord. 2838 § 1, 1990; Ord. 3055 §§ 1, 2, 1993; Ord. 3161 § 2, 1994; Ord. 3230 § 2, 1995; Ord. 3291 § 2, 1996; Ord. 3350 § 2, 1997; Ord. 3394 § 2, 1998; Ord. 3452 § 2, 1999; Ord. 3525 § 2, 2001; Ord. 3642 § 2, 2003; Ord. 3758 § 2, 2005; Ord. 3845 § 3, 2007; Ord. 3854 § 3, 2007; Ord. 3931 § 2, 2010; Ord. 3973 § 7, 2011; Ord. 3978 § 2, 2011; Ord. 4024 § 2, 2014; Ord. 4056 § 2, 2015; Ord. 2021-004 § 3; Ord. 2025-007, 4/15/2025)
In addition to charges for potable water actually used, there shall be a fixed monthly service charge for fire line protection services for fire lines connected to the City potable water system based on the size of the connection.
(A) 
The fixed charges for fire line protection services shall be set by resolution of the Board of Public Utilities.
(B) 
The charges specified by the Board of Public Utilities shall be applicable to private fire line services to which no connections for other than fire protection purposes are allowed and which are regularly inspected by the underwriters having jurisdiction, and are installed according to specifications of the Board of Public Utilities, and are maintained to the satisfaction of the Board. The applicant shall pay all costs of installation including the actual cost of installation of a service or distribution main of adequate size to service such fire line system.
(Prior code § 25.4; Ord. 2667 § 3, 1988; Ord. 3452 § 3, 1999; Ord. 3845 § 3, 2007; Ord. 2025-007, 4/15/2025)