HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 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 2017
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,
storm water and/or miscellaneous services or fees that are provided to customers during the month (see the rate
breakdown on the reverse side of this sheet).
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. 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. For a more detailed 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, 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
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 WATER
Storm water 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 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) $9.61 $11.53 Low Income Residential $2.72 $3.26
5/8” to 3/4” $19.22 $23.06 Residential (including duplexes) $2.72 $3.26
1” $48.07 $57.68 Multi-Family (3 or more units) $2.11 $2.53
1 ½” $96.12 $115.35 Commercial A Meter < 2” $3.13 $3.75
2” $153.81 $184.57 Commercial B Meter ≥ 3” $4.71 $5.65
3” $288.38 $346.06 Government $4.08 $4.89
4” $480.63 $576.75 Irrigation Rates:
6” $961.27 $1,153.52 Winter Rate (Nov – April) $3.26 $3.91
8” $1,538.02 $1,845.62 Summer Rate (May – Oct) $5.71 $6.85
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 $ 16.93 (≤ 3,000 gallons water usage)
$ 20.93 (> 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 $7.25 per month.
> 3,000 square feet Your square footage, divided by 3,000 = N; $7.25 x N = storm charge per month.
TAXES AND SURCHARGES
Capital Surcharges:
Water (Inside City) $18.00 Monthly fee (Low Income Rate is $9.00).
Water (Outside City) $21.60 Monthly fee (Low Income Rate is $10.80).
Wastewater $3.00 Monthly fee (Low Income Rate is $1.50).
Stormwater $3.00 Monthly fee (Low Income Rate is $1.50)
City Utility Tax 22% Assessed monthly on utility service rates only, not surcharges.
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 processing 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 for
same day service
Meter Reading $20.00 $30.00 Leak checks or reads outside of the normal monthly reading period