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Home My WebLink About2015 City Utility Service Rates Utility Billing Department 250 Madison Street, Suite 1 Port Townsend, Washington 98368 Phone: 360-385-2700  Fax: 360-379-4440 UTILITY SERVICES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2015 The purpose of this document is to provide you with an informative explanation of the services, billing procedures and rates for the city utility services of water, wastewater/sewer and storm. GENERAL SERVICE & BILLING INFORMATION All water meters are read at the beginning of each month using a hand held device that records the water consumption. From that data, the utility bills are then generated and contain the base rate and a charge for water consumption (fees vary depending on location of property and size of meter). There are additional assessments for services such as wastewater (sewer), storm and/or miscellaneous fees that are also included on the monthly statement (see the rate breakdown on the reverse side of this sheet). The bills are mailed at the end of each month to the address on file and are due by the 20th of the month following the billing date printed on your statement. Payments not received by the due date are considered delinquent and are subject to a late fee. Information on payment dates is provided because failure to receive a bill does not release the customer from the obligation to pay promptly. The City of Port Townsend offers a program to qualifying residents that provides a reduced rate for the water, sewer and storm services provided by the city. The program is open to certain recipients of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Income, and certain other disabled and low income citizens. For a more detail explanation of the program and requirements, please see the Port Townsend Municipal Code 13.02 on the city website at cityofpt.us. WATER Having a water meter essentially reserves the amount of water in our system that your meter is capable of carrying. Whether you use it or not, the city is required by state regulations to provide you with that capacity and your account is charged accordingly. Your total monthly water fee is comprised of two charges; the Base Rate, for the current month and a Usage Fee for the prior month’s consumption. The customer may elect to have their water turned off (Standby Service), which would eliminate consumption charges but they will still incur charges for the monthly Base Rate fee according to their meter size. 1. The BASE RATE CHARGE is for reservation of capacity which means that you have reserved use of a given amount of water based on your meter size. All premises, whether occupied or vacant, shall be charged a base rate, based on meter size, for reservation of capacity. 2. The USAGE FEE (consumption) reflects the amount of water you have used during the prior month. The actual usage is rounded down to the nearest thousand gallons. Example: use of 3,268 gallons will be billed for 3,000 gallons. The balance of the 268 gallons is carried over to the following month. WASTEWATER / SEWER Generally, most residential accounts have a flat rate usage charge while multi-family & commercial accounts have a base rate determined by meter size (refer to Base Rate table) in addition to a volume/usage charge. The rates shown on the reverse side have been established to pay for the service, extension and management of the City’s sewer system which includes the operation of pumping, treatment and disposal of solid waste. STORM Storm charges, which are calculated using square foot measurements, are assessed on that area of your property designated as impervious surface. This means areas that are paved or otherwise do not let water pass through (i.e., your driveway and/or area covered by your house or other structures). City Ordinance allows for Storm charges even though you may not actually have storm drains on or near your own property. The charges cover construction and maintenance of the entire city-wide system. WATER – MONTHLY FEES BASE RATE - (Residential and Commercial) USAGE FEE - Charge is per 1,000 gallons Meter Size Inside City Outside City Type of Account Inside City Outside City 5/8” to 3/4” (Low Income) $9.77 $11.72 Low Income Residential $2.59 $3.10 5/8” to 3/4” $18.29 $21.95 Residential (including duplexes) $2.59 $3.10 1” $45.75 $54.90 Multi-Family (3 or more units) $2.01 $2.41 1 ½” $91.49 $109.79 Commercial A Meter < 2” $2.98 $3.57 2” $146.40 $175.68 Commercial B Meter ≥ 3” $4.48 $5.38 3” $274.49 $329.39 Government $3.88 $4.66 4” $457.48 $548.98 Irrigation – Winter (Nov - April) $3.10 $3.72 6” $914.97 $1,097.97 Irrigation – Summer (May – Oct) $5.44 $6.52 8” $1,463.94 $1,756.73 WASTEWATER – MONTHLY FEES FOR INSIDE CITY LIMITS ONLY BASE RATE (Multi-Family & Commercial) USAGE FEE Meter Size Inside City Type of Account Inside City 5/8” to 3/4” (Low Income) N/A Low Income Residential $ 23.72 (≤ 3,000 gallons water usage) $ 28.74 (> 3,000 gallons water usage) 5/8” to 3/4” $ 30.00 Residential (Including Duplexes) $ 33.85 (≤ 3,000 gallons water usage) $ 41.85 (≥ 4,000 gallons water usage) 1” $ 45.00 Multi-Family & Commercial volume charges are based on 1,000 Gallons 1 ½” $ 75.00 Multi-Family (3 or more units) $ 3.45 2” $115.00 Commercial A Meter < 2” $ 4.65 3” $420.00 Commercial B Meter ≥ 3” $ 3.05 4” $470.00 Government $ 4.55 6” $700.00 Irrigation – Winter (Nov - April) N/A 8” $960.00 Irrigation – Summer (May – Oct) N/A STORM FEE PER MONTH ≤ 3,000 square feet $6.59 per month (Low Income Discount is at a reduced rate). > 3,000 square feet Your square footage, divided by 3,000 = N; $6.59 x N = storm charge per month. TAXES AND SURCHARGES Capital Surcharges: Water (Inside City) $18.00 Monthly fee, adjusted annually (Low Income Discount is at a reduced rate). Water (Outside City) $21.60 Monthly fee, adjusted annually (Low Income Discount is at a reduced rate). Wastewater $3.00 Monthly fee (Low Income Discount is at a reduced rate). City Utility Tax 20% Assessed monthly on utility service rates only. MISCELLANEOUS Late Fee $5.00 Minimum monthly penalty or 1 ½% of the outstanding balance (whichever is greater) for payments not received by the due date. Meter Testing $60.00 If test discloses an error of 10% or greater the fee will be refunded. New Account Setup $10.00 A one-time, non-refundable fee for each new account setup. Returned Checks $15.00 For reprocessing any non-negotiable checks. Turn-On/Turn-Off Fees Inside City Outside City Comments Normal Business Hours $20.00 $25.00 Service call between the hours of 8:00am – 3:30pm Business Day- After Hours $60.00 $75.00 Service call between the hours of 3:30pm – 8:00am Same Day Reconnect $60.00 $75.00 Service call between the hours of 8:00am – 3:30pm. Shut off due to non-payment requires a turn-on request prior to 2:00pm that day. Standby Service $20.00 $25.00 There is a charge to turn on and a charge to turn off water.