Ceres Municipal Code Ch. 03 Rates and Charges

All consumers shall be metered.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

The rates, fees and charges for service shall be set by resolution of the City Council.

A. Metered rates. Metered rates shall apply to all uses specified in section 13.03.010.

B. Construction water. Temporary service for construction and grading and compaction shall be available for six-month intervals with all fees and charges paid in advance by a cash deposit.

1. The temporary service may be extended by the City Engineer or Director of Public Works for additional six-month periods upon payment of the appropriate fees.

2. Upon approval of the City Engineer or Director of Public Works, construction water may be obtained from a fire hydrant.

3. The rates charged for construction water, the deposit required and other administrative rules applicable to the use of and payment for construction water shall be established by resolution of the City Council.

C. Water service outside City limits. The water service charges for persons outside the City limits shall be 1½ times the charge for similar usage inside the City, except for public school district schools.

D. Temporary business water service.

1. For this subsection, a temporary business shall be defined as seasonal or theme-oriented business such as fireworks stands, pumpkin lots, Christmas tree lots, or similar uses operated for a period of less than 30 days during a 12-month period (reference Ceres Zoning Ordinance title 18).

2. A temporary business may receive water from the City system upon payment of two times the minimum monthly nonresidential service charge.

3. For temporary businesses only, service may be provided to a parcel of land for which the water connection fees have not been paid.

E. Multiple users. If more than one consumer is served from one service connection, the owner of the property or his agent shall be required to sign for and guarantee payment for water service at that location, and the owner shall be liable for all water served through such connection.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019; Ord. No. 2023-1077, § 1, 8-28-2023)

A. When the City installs a service connection or meter, the City shall collect the connection fees prescribed by resolution of the City Council from the applicant prior to the installation of service connections and meters, except for service under section 13.03.020.D, for temporary business water service. The installation of any service connection or meter which entails unusual conditions resulting in additional costs shall be installed on the basis of actual cost.

B. The water connection impact fee (public facility fees—water) shall not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the water service. The fee shall be established by resolution by the City Council, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with State law.

C. Any establishment of a new water connection or of an increase in an existing water connection fee shall adhere to the notice and hearing requirements established by State law.

D. In addition to the charges required herein, a water connection fee (public facility fee—water), as appropriate, shall be paid for any new connections or expansions of use as provided in the administrative procedures of the Ceres public facility fees. The amount of the fee shall be set by resolution of the City Council.

E. The minimum connection fee outside the City limits shall be 1½ times the base fee in the City limits, except for public school district schools.

F. The purpose of the connection fee is to provide the City with funds to construct, or reimburse for the construction of major improvements, such as wells and water treatment facilities, to achieve the above stated goal. The funds may also be used to construct or reimburse for the construction of pipelines, if the purpose of the pipeline is to create a loop in the water system, and the pipeline extends through an area where no development is occurring or is part of the City's large diameter water distribution system as defined in the Ceres public facility fee program.

G. Fire flow charge will be calculated for any extra fire flow required above the standard (one-inch meter) fire flow requirement of one thousand five hundred (1,500) gpm for two (2) hours. The fire flow charge will be based on the incremental increase in the fire flow requirements above the "standard" (one-inch meter). The incremental fire flow charge will be calculated as follows:

[Figure]

The fire flow charge shall be deposited to the water fund.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019; Ord. No. 2025-1093, § 1, 10-13-2025)