WATER RATE SCHEDULE
(EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2023)
Monthly Boostered System Charge (if applicable): $1.34
Monthly Residential and T-1 Commercial Billing Rate:
- Per Unit Water Service Charge (includes 7,480 gallons) – Tier 1: $26.74
- Tier 2: 7,481 – 27,676 gallons – $0.00065 per gallon
- Tier 3: 27,677-74,800 gallons – $0.00100 per gallon
- Tier 4: 74,801-112,200 gallons – $0.00150 per gallon
- Tier 5: Greater than 112,201 gallons – $0.00250 per gallon
Monthly T-2 Commercial Billing Rate:
- Per Unit Water Service Charge (no usage allowance) – $26.74
- Commercial Additional Unit Charge – $17.38
- Tier 1: 1 – 27,676 gallons – $0.00065 per gallon
- Tier 2: 27,677-74,800 gallons – $0.00100 per gallon
- Tier 3: 74,801 gallons and above – $0.00150 per gallon
Green Bluff Water Association Monthly Wholesale Water Billing Rate:
- Per Unit Water Service Charge (no usage allowance) – $26.74
- Per gallon used – $.00075
Irrigation meters will be charged at the Residential Billing Rate.
Motels, hotels, boarding houses, apartment units, and office buildings will pay a $26.74 Monthly Water Service Charge plus $17.38 per month for each unit available for rental whether it is rented or not. The 7,480 gallons monthly service allowance will not apply to this category.
RV Parks and others not mentioned above who provide transient accommodations will pay a $26.74 Monthly Water Service Charge per building unit plus the metered rate on the combined building(s) and transient space water usage. The 7,480 gallons Monthly Water Service Charge allowance will not apply to this category.
Retirement homes, nursing homes and homes for the aged will pay a $26.74 Monthly Water Service Charge, $7.36 for each unit whether occupied or not, plus the metered rate. The 7,480 gallons Monthly Water Service Charge allowance will not apply to this category.
Every other water user type not specifically mentioned above will pay the metered rate defined in the 2023 Monthly Residential Billing Rate.
DISTRICT FIRE HYDRANT PERMIT PROGRAM
Whitworth Water District’s Fire Hydrant Permit Program was adopted by the District’s Board of Commissioners under Resolution 20-03 on January 17, 2020. The Program provides for the lawful use of District fire hydrants to obtain bulk water. Permits are offered by the month or annual timeframe. By completing and signing both the Application Packet and Permit Application, the applicant is agreeing to comply with the Program fees and rules listed within this Application Packet. Any use of a District hydrant without a valid Permit and District installed devices will result in a $250 fine, loss of Permit, and possible law enforcement intervention.
PERMIT FEES:
Monthly Fire Hydrant Permit Fee – $250 plus usage rates. The Permit timeframe will begin at date of issuance and extend for a period of 30 days.
Yearly Fire Hydrant Permit Fee – $1,000 plus usage rates. The Permit timeframe will be one year from the date of issuance.
Monthly Water Usage Reporting and Rates – Usage is billed monthly per the District’s current commercial rate structure. Meters will be read by District staff and billed based on monthly usage.
Usage rates for year 2023 are as follows and are subject to change.
• 1 – 3,700 cubic feet = $0.00065 per cubic foot
• 3,701 – 10,000 cubic feet = $0.0010 per cubic foot
• 10,001 cubic feet and above = $0.00150 per cubic foot
Relocation of Meter and Backflow Assembly – $30 per occurrence. No charge for initial set up or breakdown.
PERMIT RULES:
Fire Hydrant Meter and Backflow Assembly Connection, Disconnection, and Relocation – It is a Program requirement that the Permit holder notify District staff of any hydrant meter and backflow assembly relocation request. Any relocation requested will be assessed a $30 fee. The District must be notified of the relocation request at least 24 hours in advance by calling (509) 466-7511. Any relocation request may be denied by District staff. It is against Permit Program policy for any non-District staff member to connect, disconnect, alter, or relocate any meter and or backflow assembly from or to a District hydrant. Any violations will lead to a $250 penalty and the immediate revocation of Permit without refund.
Liability Insurance Coverage – An Applicant for a District Hydrant Permit must provide a copy of their liability insurance policy. The amount of coverage shall not be less than $1,000,000 for bodily injury, including death to any one person and, subject to that limit for each person, of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence; and property damage of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence.
Damage Deposit – A $500 Damage Deposit is required on all Permits. The Damage Deposit is required at time of application. Damages caused by neglect, improper use, or abuse to the hydrant, hydrant lock, meter, backflow
assembly, gate valve or meter stand will be deducted from the Damage Deposit by the amount necessary to facilitate repair or replacement. Unused Damage Deposit amounts will be returned after the Permit period has ended and all equipment and infrastructure has been inspected. If repairs due to neglect, improper use, or abuse are required prior to the Permit period ending, these repair charges will be billed on a time and material basis on the monthly billing statement. The Permit holder is responsible for any theft or loss of equipment.
Possession of Permit and Unpermitted Hydrant Usage Penalty – a penalty of $250 will be assessed to the Permit holder if a hydrant user is not immediately able to provide a copy of the Permit when requested by District personnel. In addition, a penalty of $250 and immediate loss of Permit without refund will occur if either the District provided meter, backflow assembly, and or jack stand are not connected when operating a hydrant, or if a hydrant other than the one stated on the Permit is used.
Hydrant Selection and Usage – Only one hydrant may be listed on the Permit Application and must be approved by the District prior to use. No other hydrant may be used unless approved in writing by District staff. Once the Permit is approved, District staff will unlock the permitted hydrant at the request of the Permit holder and provide and install the meter, backflow assembly, and jack stand. It is a violation of the Permit for anyone other than District staff to connect, disconnect, or relocate a District meter and backflow assembly from or to a hydrant.
Fire Department Use – Any District hydrant utilized must be unobstructed at all times for use by fire department or District personal. Any violation will lead to the revocation of the Permit without refund.
HYDRANT OPERATION RULES:
Hydrant permit holders operate hydrants at their own risk and assume all responsibility for personal injury, blatant damage to District equipment, or any user caused contamination to the water system from their improper use of District hydrants. If a hydrant is not operating properly, immediately call the District at (509) 466-7511 to report the problem. The hydrant water supply will be open and therefore the use of a pipe wrench is not necessary.
Never open or close a fire hydrant rapidly. Opening or closing a hydrant too fast can damage the hydrant, or send water hammer through the water system causing damage elsewhere. This may also disturb any sediment within the water mains and affect water quality for other customers.
Never throttle a hydrant from the operation nut. Operate the hydrant to the fully open or fully closed positions. Leaving the hydrant partially open or closed can cause damage to the main rubber valve. Permit holder assumes all liability resulting from improper opening or closure of a fire hydrant.
ASSESSMENTS
An Assessment is a property’s prorated share of the project costs borne to bring water improvements to a previously unserved area within the District. Assessment fees, where they exist, are charged in addition to the GFC required for new service. To determine if a specific property is located within an Assessment Area, please contract the Operations Department at (509) 466-7511.
MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES
Interest on all rates, charges and penalties certified as delinquent is 8% per year or the highest amount permitted by law, whichever is greater.
Other charges deemed reasonable by the Board will be applied for services including, but not limited to, shutting off or turn on of service, returned checks, the setup of new accounts, filing of liens, freeze ups, RF installation and hydrant permits.
A charge of $150.00 plus the cost of repairing the main valve or meter will be assessed for an illegal turn-on where the water to the property has been turned off by the District.
Whenever a request is made that the District change the name and/or address of an account, the District shall charge and collect an amount of $10.00 for such change. Said change shall be added to the first water bill sent to that account after the change is made.
All labor, material and miscellaneous charges borne by Whitworth Water District will likewise be passed on to the customer receiving the service.
After hours call outs will be billed out at a two hour minimum ($120.00) regardless of the amount of time spent at the residence.
SALES TAX
Any form of consumption or excise tax charged as a cost to the District shall be passed on to each customer by adding such tax to each customer’s statement or as charges in such a manner as the District deems reasonable.
STREET LIGHT CHARGES
The District operates street light systems in accordance with RCW 57.08.060 and each owner of a lot located in a development where Whitworth Water District operates a system will be billed for the lot’s proportional share of the costs of operating the system.
Labor & Equipment Rates
Click here for a printable copy of the Labor and Equipment Rates
Backhoe Dump Truck 1 Operations Employee Call Out After Hours Truck Tapping Gun Fee (4″ or larger) Trench box Mini Excavator Hydro Vac, Tow by Truck On/Off Charge Project Administrator Fee Water Samples Project Inspector Fee Fire Hydrant Tap Fees Hydrant Permits 1 Month Annual |
$43.00 per hour $58.00 per hour $47.00 per hour $120.00 minimum $23.00 per hour $100.00 flat fee $50.00 flat fee $45.00 per hour $53.00 per hour $25.00 per trip $200.00 per project $35.00 each $95.00 per hour, plus mileage $500.00 $500.00 Deposit $250.00 + Usage** $1,000.00 + Usage** |
- * Equipment rates based on 2019 Federal Schedule of Equipment Rates (FEMA)
- **Usage charged at the current District commercial metered water rate. See https://whitworthwater.com/rates-and-fees/ for current rates.
General Facilities Charge
A General Facilities Charge (GFC) is a one-time charge imposed as a condition of service on new connections to the water system. The charge represents a proportional share of the capital investment made to provide system capacity. These charges do not include costs associated with the physical connection to the system including meters, materials, labor and other miscellaneous charges. Estimates for these costs and other services are available upon request at the District Office.
These fees are:
3/4-inch meter size – $2,580
1-inch meter size – $4,300
2-inch meter size – $13,438
For connections larger than a 2-inch meter size, a site-specific determination, or non-standard schedule path, can be used to establish a General Facilities Charge (GFC) based on the total equivalent residential units (ERU). the current charge per ERU is $4,300. As an alternate to the non-standard schedule path, an applicant may choose to instead apply the standard schedule path to determine the GFC Schedule.
PRIVATE FIRE PROTECTION
For metered and unmetered connections to the District mains to supply water to hydrants, standpipes or automatic sprinklers for private fire protection, customers will be charged according to the size of the connection. Charges are billed June 1st and are delinquent July 10th of each year. Click here for a printable copy of the private fire protection rates.
The annual rates are:
3″ or smaller connection 4″ 6″ 8″ 10″ 12″ | $150.00 $225.00 $350.00 $425.00 $500.00 $625.00 |