FPUD approves 2020 rates

The Fallbrook Public Utility District approved FPUD rates and other charges for calendar year 2020.

FPUD’s board vote 4-0, Dec. 9, with Don McDougal absent, adopted the 2020 rates and charges for water, recycled water and wastewater delivery and services. Water and wastewater rates will increase by 8% while the increase for recycled water will be 4.5%.

“This was just in accordance with the long-term financial plan,” Jack Bebee, FPUD general manager, said. “This was the adoption of rates for the upcoming calendar year.”

The five-year financial plan was adopted in 2018. The annual rate approval allows for some updates based on changes in expected sales, capital improvements and other circumstances.

The changes in the financial projections include revising the budgeted sales of water for fiscal year 2019-2020 from 9,100 acre-feet to just over 8,000 acre-feet while revising the annual sales projections for fiscal year 2020-2021 and beyond from 9,100 to 8,500 acre-feet.

The plan also utilizes updated cost, debt service and yield numbers for the Santa Margarita River Conjunctive Use Project. The updates also adjust the capital improvement charges and capacity charges for new system connections to recover the proportionate cost of the existing and planned system serving the new customers based on the construction cost index inflation.

One unit, for the purposes of billing, is equal to 1,000 gallons. For domestic users the cost for the first through fifth units each month will increase from $5.96 to $6.44, the sixth through 30th unit cost will rise from $6.05 to $6.53, and each unit beyond the 30th which had been billed at $7.37 will now be billed at $7.96.

For homes with Special Agricultural Water Rate accounts, the first five units for each month will rise from $5.96 to $6.44, the cost for the sixth through 20th unit will change from $5.12 to $5.53, and the billing for each unit over 20 will increase from $4.42 to $4.77.

The first through fifth units for commercial agriculture domestic accounts will also increase from $5.96 to $6.44, while subsequent units will rise from $5.12 to $5.53. All commercial agriculture units will increase from $5.12 to $5.53. Agriculture-only use for accounts with the Special Agriculture Water Rate will increase for each unit from $4.42 to $4.77.

All commercial units will rise from $6.14 to $6.63; all government account units will increase from $6.04 to $6.52, and all irrigation only units which had been $6.15 will be $6.44. All units for water furnished for construction purposes will be raised from $7.60 to $8.21.

Due to conditions involving San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California rebates, the rates for recycled water must be set at the higher of 85% of the lowest applicable potable water rate or 80% of the average of Tier 1 and Tier 2 rates. The recycled water cost per 1,000 gallons will increase from $5.10 to $5.51.

The monthly water fixed charges for each meter will increase from $46.75 to $50.49 for 3/4-inch meters, from $71.37 to $77.08 for 1-inch meters, from $132.88 to $143.51 for 1 1/2-inch meters, from $206.71 to $223.25 for 2-inch meters, from $403.57 to $435.86 for 3-inch meters, from $625.05 to $675.05 for 4-inch meters and from $1,240.26 to $1,339.48 for 6-inch meters.

The standby service charge will be raised from $20.98 to $22.66 for 3/4-inch meters, from $28.41 to $30.68 for 1-inch meters, from $46.97 to $50.73 for 1 1/2-inch meters, from $69.24 to $74.78 for 2-inch meters, from $128.66 to $138.95 for 3-inch meters, from $195.50 to $211.14 for 4-inch meters and from $381.15 to $411.64 for 6-inch meters.

FPUD also has a monthly service charge to cover the district’s cost for annual inspection, maintenance and replacement of backflow prevention devices. That charge will increase from $5.16 to $5.57 for each 3/4-inch device, from $6.07 to $6.56 for each 1-inch device, from $11.23 to $12.13 for each 1 1/2-inch device, from $13.47 to $14.55 for each 2-inch device, from $26.92 to $29.07 for each 3-inch device, from $42.06 to $45.42 for each 4-inch device and from $84.10 to $90.83 for each 6-inch device.

MWD has a readiness-to-serve charge, which is set on a fiscal year basis and becomes effective July 1. The San Diego County Water Authority’s share is allocated to member agencies based on a 10-year rolling average of demands, and FPUD’s assessment for the SDCWA share is $310,434 for fiscal year 2019-2020.

FPUD passes that CWA charge to each meter user, and the monthly charge will be $2.05 for a 3/4-inch meter, $3.42 for a 1-inch meter, $6.83 for a 1 1/2-inch meter, $10.93 for a 2-inch meter, $21.87 for a 3-inch meter, $34.17 for a 4-inch meter and $68.33 for a 6-inch meter.

The CWA has a monthly infrastructure access charge which is used for CWA fixed expenditures incurred even when water use is reduced. The charge is per meter equivalent. The rate will increase from $3.01 to $3.66 for 3/4-inch meters, from $5.03 to $4.53 for 1-inch meters, from $10.02 to $11.02 for 1 1/2-inch meters, from $16.04 to $17.64 for 2-inch meters, from $32.12 to $35.33 for 3-inch meters, from $50.18 to $55.20 for 4-inch meters and from $100.32 to $110.35 for 6-inch meters.

FPUD’s capital improvement charge is dedicated to funding water capital improvement projects. The charge will increase from $9.12 to $9.47 for 3/4-inch meters, from $15.20 to $15.78 for 1-inch meters, from $30.40 to $31.56 for 1 1/2-inch meters, from $48.64 to $50.49 for 2-inch meters, from $97.29 to $100.98 for 3-inch meters, from $152.01 to $157.09 for 4-inch meters and from $304.02 to $315.57 for 6-inch meters.

The volumetric wastewater charges per 1,000 gallons will increase from $9.86 to $10.32 for residential and agriculture domestic accounts, from $9.79 to $10.25 for schools, churches, government buildings and low-strength commercial buildings, from $12.09 to $12.65 for medium-strength commercial buildings and from $15.09 to $15.77 for high-strength commercial buildings. The wastewater capital improvement charge per equivalent dwelling unit for all accounts was increased from $11.53 to $11.62.

The capacity fee was increased from $5,727 to $5,771 for 3/4-inch meters, from $9,164 to $9,235 for 1-inch meters, from $17,181 to $17,314 for 1 1/2-inch meters, from $29,782 to $30,012 for 2-inch meters, from $54,984 to $55,408 for 3-inch meters, from $93,928 to $94,652 for 4-inch meters and from $171,824 to $173,149 for 6-inch meters.