On July 11, 2006, the Board of Supervisors approved a series of four 6% rate increases to connection fees over the next two years, between August 2006 and January 2008. In addition, the Board approved a series of two 6% increases to user fees over the next year, between August 2006 and January 2007. Connection fees for the average new house to connect to the County’s sewer system will increase from $4,050.24 to $5,113.24 by January 2008. Qualifying discounted connection fees for developers who build off-site sewer systems will increase from $2,950.24 to $3,724.44 by January 2008. The average residential customer’s sewer bill will increase from $17.52 per month to $18.98 per month by January 2007. The first of the series of connection fee and user fee rate increases is effective August 11, 2006.

The Board also approved some modifications to the Connection Fee and User Fee Ordinances. These include:

1. Revising the Connection Fee Ordinance to:

• Include a definition of “residence” and delete the definitions of “single family residence” and “multifamily.”
• Clarify that swimming pool draining and back wash waters are allowed in the public sanitary sewage conveyance system as authorized by the Department.
• Simplify the fixture unit chart for clarity and ease of use.
• Modify prevailing rate language to establish standards for the effective date of new connection fee rates.
• Revise criteria allowing fixture unit equivalent credits for demolition and conversion of structures.
• Change interest compounding from simple to daily for payment of connection fees.
• Modify the rebate line eligibility to require that a rebate is reduced by any connection fee discounts to the property.

2. Revising the User Fee Ordinance to:

• Amend the definition of “sanitary sewer” to delete swimming pool drainage and back wash waters from the definition of prohibited discharges to the sanitary sewer system.
• Modify the sewer connection verification method to include the use of closed circuit television inspection.

Connection Fee Ordinance 2006-51 (PDF)

User Fee Ordinance 2006-52 (PDF)

Pima County Code (See Title 13.20 and 13.24 for sanitary sewer codes)