HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024 Rate Increase Notice - Multi-Residential Sewer Service
Si requiere asistencia en español con referencia a esta notificación, favor de llamar al 619-670-2222.
Otay Water District 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd.
Spring Valley, CA 91978
619-670-2222
otaywater.gov
Notice of Multi-Residential
Sewer Rate Increase
NOTICE OF SEWER RATES, FEES, AND CHARGES EFFECTIVE
FOR SEWER SERVICE BILLED IN JANUARY 2024
Dear Customer,
As part of the annual budget adoption process completed in June 2023, the Otay Water District
(District) approved a sewer-rate increase to proportionately recover the increasing costs of
providing sewer service to the District’s customers. The District’s overall costs related to sewer
service are increasing approximately 4.8% in 2024. The new sewer rates, fees, and charges will
apply to service billed beginning January 1, 2024. Depending on your billing cycle, the new
rates and charges will apply to sewer service as early as the beginning of December 2023.
This letter serves as a 30-day notice of rate increases.
On October 7, 2020, the District’s Board of Directors adopted a five-year schedule of sewer rates
in compliance with applicable provisions of law. This sewer-rate increase is within the limits of the
approved five-year schedule of rates, fees, and charges.
The District is a nonprofit public agency. As a nonprofit public agency, the District does not make
a profit from providing sewer service, and it cannot operate at a loss. Sewer bills reflect only those
rates, fees, and charges sufficient to support sewer service. To continue to provide reliable service,
the District must implement and pass through to its customers the full cost of providing sewer
service, including cost increases imposed by the District’s power, treatment, and disposal
providers. Power is provided by San Diego Gas and Electric. Treatment and disposal providers
include the County of San Diego (County) and the City of San Diego (City). This year, the increase
is a direct result of ongoing District operation, maintenance, and capital improvement costs as well
as increases in treatment costs charged by the City and the shared service costs for facilities
operated by the County.
The District’s costs include inspection and preventative maintenance of the public sewer system
and replacement of aging sewer infrastructure. These actions protect the public’s investment in the
public sewer system, minimize maintenance costs, reduce the possibility of pipeline breaks,
blockages, or spills, and keep sewer rates affordable.
The District works diligently to reduce internal costs and continues to be one of the lower cost
sewer service providers in San Diego County. For more information about the District, please visit
otaywater.gov, email info@otaywater.gov, or call 619-670-2222.
Dedicated to Community Service
To estimate sewer use, the District averages metered water use for the winter months of January
through April of the prior three years. The three-year winter average is the basis of the sewer charges
for the following year. The winter months are the best time to average water use because less water
is used outdoors and most of the water used flows to the sewer system. The District gives customers
a 15% usage discount to acknowledge that not all water purchased goes to the sewer system. The
following is the sewer bill formula for multi-residential customers:
1. The three-year winter average is defined as the sum of prior three years annual winter average divided by three. The annual
winter average is defined as the units of water billed from January through April divided by four.
2. A 15% discount is an acknowledgement that not all water purchased goes to the sewer system.
3. Based on the size of the water meter.
4. The District’s total rate increase is 4.8%. Within this rate increase, 1.5% of the increase is increased charges passed through from the
treatment providers and shared facilities. The remaining 3.3% of the rate increase is based upon increases to other District costs,
including energy, labor, benefits, materials, sewer system replacement, maintenance, operations, and supplies. This remaining amount
is below the 10% for all other costs authorized at the Proposition 218 Hearing on October 7, 2020.
his information reflects only rates, fees, and charges that are proposed to change. For a comprehensive listing of rates,
System Charges (monthly)
Meter Size Current New
.75” $18.13 $18.99
1” $45.30 $47.45
1.5” $90.58 $94.88
2” $144.92 $151.80
3” $271.74 $284.65
4” $452.90 $474.41
6” $905.79 $948.82
8” $1,449.29 $1,518.13
10” $2,083.35 $2,182.31
Sewer Rate (per unit)
Current New
Sewer Rate $3.25 $3.40
Si requiere asistencia en español con referencia a esta notificación, favor de llamar al 619-670-2222.
Multi-Residential Sewer Service Bill Calculation
(Sewer Rate x 3-Year Winter Average1 x 85%2) + System Charges3 = Total Monthly Bill4
Rates and Charges
Footnotes
This information reflects only changes to rates. For a comprehensive listing, please see the
Otay Water District’s Code of Ordinances at otaywater.gov.