HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 City Utility Service RatesCITY OF PORT TOWNSEND
UTILITY SERVICES FOR WATER, WASTEWATER & STORM
Utility Department: 360‐379‐4409
The purpose of this document is to assist our customers in identifying and understanding the rates and billing procedures for city
utility services. The water meters are read at the beginning of each month using a hand held device that records the water
consumption for the prior month. From that data, the utility bills are then generated and contain the Base Rate for the current
month, and a charge for the prior month’s water usage. In addition, assessments for any additional services such as wastewater
(sewer), storm and/or miscellaneous fees incurred for that month (utility fees vary depending on whether the service address is
inside or outside the city limits) are also included on the statement. The bills are mailed to the address on file and are due by the
20th of the month following the billing date printed on your statement. Any payments not received by the due date are considered
delinquent and are subject to a $5.00 minimum penalty or 1 ½% penalty on the total amount due, whichever is greater. Please see
the reverse side of this document for the utility rates. A program has been established to provide discounted utility rates to
qualifying city residents as described herein. We encourage you to visit the city website at www.cityofpt.us to review the
Municipal Code where you can review the Low Income Discount Program and get a more detailed explanation of the utility rates.
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 and a Usage Fee.
1. The BASE RATE CHARGE is for reservation of capacity. Reservation of capacity means that you have reserved use of a
given amount of water based on your meter size. Most residential and commercial meters in the city are 5/8” to 3/4”
but if you don’t know the size of your meter, you may contact our Utility Department for this information.
2. The WATER USAGE CHARGE (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.
The method for calculating the total monthly water charge is as follows:
1. Locate your meter size on the Base Rate table and indentify the corresponding charge. This is the flat rate that you will
be charged each month.
2. On the Usage Fee table, locate your Type of Account (Residential, Commercial, etc.)and the corresponding rate for that
type. Using the consumption amount on your bill (listed under Meter Reading, “Cons”), divide that amount by 1,000 and
then multiply that figure by the appropriate rate to arrive at your Usage Fee.
WASTEWATER
Generally, most residential accounts have a flat 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 water charges are assessed for that area of your property designated as impervious surfaces. These surfaces are areas that
are paved or otherwise do not let water pass through (i.e., your driveway and/or ground area covered by your house or other
structures). Square foot measurements are used for this calculation. City Ordinance allows for Stormwater charges even though
you may not actually have storm drains on or near your own property. The charges are for construction and maintenance of the
entire city‐wide system.
Effective August 2013
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BASE RATE PER MONTH
METER SIZE
WATER
(Residential and Commercial)
WASTEWATER
(Multi‐Family and Commercial only)
Inside City Outside City Inside City Only
5/8” to 3/4” (Low Income) $ 8.95 $ 10.74 N/A
5/8” to 3/4” $ 16.76 $ 20.11 $ 30.00
1” $ 41.91 $ 50.29 $ 45.00
1 ½” $ 83.80 $ 100.56 $ 75.00
2” $ 134.09 $ 160.91 $115.00
3” $ 251.41 $ 301.70 $420.00
4” $ 419.01 $ 502.82 $470.00
6” $ 838.04 $1,005.65 $700.00
8” $1,340.85 $1,609.02 $960.00
USAGE FEE PER MONTH
TYPE OF ACCOUNT
WATER
(Charge is per 1000 gallons)WASTEWATER
Inside City Outside City Inside City Only
Low Income Residential $2.37 $2.84 $ 23.72 (if water use is ≤ 3,000 gallons)
$ 28.74 (if water use is > 3,000 gallons)
Residential (and all 2 units
on 1 meter, Including duplexes) $2.37 $2.84 $ 33.85 (if water use is ≤ 3,000 gallons)
$ 41.85 (if water use is > 3,000 gallons)
Multi‐Family (3 or more units) $1.84 $2.21 $ 3.45/1,000 gallons
Commercial A Meter < 2” $2.73 $3.27 $ 4.65/,1000 gallons of water used; no ceiling
Commercial B Meter ≥ 3” $4.11 $4.93 $ 3.05/1,000 gallons
Government $3.55 $4.26 $ 4.55/1,000 gallons
Irrigation – Winter (Nov ‐ April) $2.84 $3.41 N/A
Irrigation – Summer (May – Oct) $4.98 $5.98 N/A
STORM FEE PER MONTH
≤ 3,000 square feet $6.59 per month
> 3,000 square feet Your square footage, divided by 3,000 = N; $6.59 x N = storm charge per month
MISCELLANEOUS FEES
City Utility Tax 20% ‐ assessed monthly on utility services.
Late Fee Minimum monthly penalty of $5.00 or 1 ½% of the outstanding balance per month (whichever
is greater) assessed for payments not received by the due date.
Capital Surcharges Monthly surcharge of $5.00 for water and $3.00 for sewer (wastewater).
New Account Setup A one‐time service fee of $10.00 is billed for each new account setup.
Standby If you elect to have your water turned off, your account will still be charged the monthly Base
Rate fee according to your meter size.
Water Turn‐On/Turn‐Off Fees* Inside City Outside city
*There is a fee for having water turned off/on by
the city. This service is based on water crew
schedules and charges apply per trip.
Weekdays
(between 8:00am ‐ 3:30pm) $20.00 $25.00
All other times $60.00 $75.00
Same day reconnect
(for non‐payment) $60.00 $75.00