Rates
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Prior year rates: Rates Effective January 1, 2023
HCF: Hundred Cubic Feet (approx. 748 gallons)
SDCWA: San Diego County Water Authority
MWD: Metropolitan Water District
Fixed Charges
Tables A, B and C show the current bi-monthly fixed charges. 5/8 inch is the typical single-family residential meter size.
Table A: Sweetwater Authority Rates for Bi-Monthly Fixed Meter Charge
| Meter Size | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| 5/8 inch | $17.27 |
| 1 inch | $25.09 |
| 1 - 1/2 inches | $44.65 |
| 2 inches | $68.13 |
| 3 inches | $130.72 |
| 4 inches | $201.14 |
| 6 inches | $396.76 |
| 8 inches | $631.50 |
| 10 inches | $1,648.69 |
Table B: Sweetwater Authority Rates for Bi-Monthly Fixed Irrigation Meter Charge
| Meter Size | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| 5/8 inch | $18.88 |
| 1 inch | $31.46 |
| 1 - 1/2 inches | $62.93 |
| 2 inches | $100.68 |
| 3 inches | $201.36 |
| 4 inches | $314.63 |
| 6 inches | $629.26 |
| 8 inches | $1,006.82 |
| 10 inches | $2,642.91 |
Table C: Sweetwater Authority Rates for Bi-Monthly Private Fire Service Lateral Charge
| Meter Size | Current Rate Effective 3/1/24 |
|---|---|
| 1 inch or less | $1.14 |
| 1 - 1/2 inches | $3.32 |
| 2 inches | $7.10 |
| 3 inches | $20.62 |
| 4 inches | $43.94 |
| 6 inches | $127.62 |
| 8 inches | $271.96 |
| 10 inches | $489.10 |
| 12 inches | $489.10 |
Single-Family Residential Tiers Variable Charges
Charges are based on the amount per HCF consumed associated with each tier in Tables D and E.
Note: HCF = one hundred cubic feet or 748 gallons of water
Table D: Sweetwater Authority Bi-Monthly Charge for Single-Family Residential (in $/HCF)
| Tiers by Units of Water Served | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 (0-4 HCF) | $5.30 |
| Tier 2 (4-13 HCF) | $5.70 |
| Tier 3 (13-24 HCF) | $5.84 |
| Tier 4 (24+ HCF) | $7.70 |
Table E: SDCWA Bi-Monthly Wholesale Water Purchase Charge (in $/HCF)
| Tiers by Units of Water Served | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 (0-4 HCF) | $0.52 |
| Tier 2 (4-13 HCF) | $0.52 |
| Tier 3 (13-24 HCF) | $0.52 |
| Tier 4 (24+ HCF) | $0.52 |
Variable Charges For All Other Customer Classes
Tables F and G provide the variables rates for all customer classes other than single-family residential.
Table F: Sweetwater Authority Bi-Monthly Variable Charge (in $/HCF)
| Customer Class | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| Multi-Family | $6.03 |
| Commercial | $6.03 |
| Public Agencies | $6.03 |
| Irrigation | $6.03 |
| Other - Construction | $6.03 |
| Industrial | $6.03 |
| Fire Protection | $6.03 |
Table G: SDCWA Bi-Monthly Wholesale Water Purchase Charge (in $/HCF)
| Customer Class | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| Multi-Family | $0.52 |
| Commercial | $0.52 |
| Public Agencies | $0.52 |
| Irrigation | $0.52 |
| Other - Construction | $0.52 |
| Industrial | $0.52 |
| Fire Protection | $0.52 |
Pass-through Charges
San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) and Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Pass-through Charges
The Authority indirectly purchases wholesale water from MWD through SDCWA. Regardless of how much water is purchased from SDCWA, SDCWA imposes on the Authority: (1) an Infrastructure Access Charge (IAC); (2) a Customer Service Charge (CSC); (3) an Emergency Storage Charge (ESC); and (4) a Supply Reliability Charge (SRC and, together with the IAC, CSC, ESC, and SRC, the SDCWA Pass-Throughs). The IAC is a fixed charge that is determined based on meter size, and is imposed on the Authority as an additional source of revenue to SDCWA to provide better coverage for SDCWA’s projected fixed costs. The CSC is imposed on the Authority as an allocation of SDCWA’s customer service related costs. The ESC is imposed on the Authority as an allocation of SDCWA’s costs for its emergency and carryover water storage program to provide sufficient water to the region in the event of an emergency. The SRC is imposed on the Authority as an allocation of SDCWA’s cost to maintain reliable water supplies. These latter three charges are determined on the basis of a multi-year average of the amount of water purchased by the Authority from SDCWA.
MWD imposes on the Authority: (1) a Readiness-to-Serve charge (MWD-RTS) and (2) a Capacity Charge (MWD-CC and, together with the MWD-RTS, the MWD Pass-Throughs). The MWD-RTS is imposed on the Authority as an allocation of MWD’s cost to provide peak capacity within the MWD’s distribution system. The MWD-CC is imposed on the Authority as an allocation of MWD’s costs associated with standby and peak conveyance capacity and system emergency storage capacity. These MWD charges are determined on the basis of multi-year averages of the amount of water purchased by the Authority from SDCWA.
Effective January 1, 2024, the SDCWA IAC charge is passed through to customers based on meter size, as set forth in Table H. The remaining SDCWA Pass-Throughs and the MWD Pass-Throughs are passed-through to customers effective January 1, 2024 per HCF of water used, in the amounts set forth in Table I.
Table H: SDCWA Pass-Through Charges for Bi-Monthly Infrastructure Access Fixed Charge
| Meter Size | Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 |
|---|---|
| 5/8 inch | $8.82 |
| 1 inch | $14.10 |
| 1 - 1/2 inches | $26.46 |
| 2 inches | $45.86 |
| 3 inches | $84.66 |
| 4 inches | $144.64 |
| 6 inches | $264.60 |
| 8 inches | $458.64 |
| 10 inches | $687.96 |
Table I: SDCWA/MWD Bi-Monthly Volumetric Pass-Through Charge Rates
| Uniform Rate for all Customer Classes ($/HCF) | SDCWA Customer Service Charge | SDCWA Emergency Storage Charge | SDCWA Supply Reliability Charge | MWD Readiness to Serve Charge | MWD Capacity Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Rate Effective 1/1/24 | $0.03 | $0.08 | $0.05 | $0.01 | $0.02 |