Fairfield Municipal Code Art. 22.25 Installation Charges

Unless otherwise authorized by the city council applicants for new services shall be responsible for the full cost of facilities necessary to deliver water to its premises, including payment of FMU fees and charges. FMU may opt to install or have applicant install water services. FMU shall collect charges for the installation of new water service connections installed by city forces. Charges shall be in the amount as established by separate resolution duly adopted from time to time by city council. Where unusual conditions prevail, charges will be based on actual costs incurred by the City, including staff time, labor, materials, and administrative costs.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

Charges for meter and box are to be added to the charges for service installation and are held as a separate charge for the convenience of subdividers or contractors where all pipe is installed by the owner. FMU shall collect charges for the installation of water meter and box in the amount as established by separate resolution duly adopted from time to time by city council.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

All rates and charges provided for in sections 22.36 and 22.37 of this chapter, unless otherwise updated by resolution duly adopted by City Council, shall, on April 1st of each year, automatically increase or decrease from the amounts then applicable by the same percentage as the percentage of increase or decrease in construction costs between December 1st of each of the two immediately preceding years. Construction costs and the increase or decrease therein shall be based on the Engineering News-Record Construction Cost Index for the San Francisco area.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

For any installation greater than four inches in size, the applicant will deposit an amount equal to the estimated installation cost at the time of application; additional billing or refund will be made on such deposit after actual installation costs have been determined at the completion of the work. Where special conditions exist, the city reserves the right to furnish special meters with the applicant to pay actual installation cost.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

All installation charges shall be paid prior to installation, or in the case of new construction must be paid before the building permit is issued.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

In the case of connection charges on a cost plus basis, a deposit must be made in advance of the estimated cost and an adjustment made upon completion. If the cost is over the estimate, the applicant will be billed for the difference; if the cost is less, FMU will refund the difference.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

Changes in size of meter, service pipe, or both of the existing service connections shall be at the expense of the customer.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

When the relocation of an existing meter or service connection is requested for the customer’s convenience, the relocation shall be at the customer’s expense.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

When the city council determines it to be in the public interest for the city to extend water lines in advance of street development or for any other purpose, the FMU director shall be ordered to proceed with such extensions to the extent and in the manner determined by the city council. Such extensions may be installed at the cost of the city or pursuant to appropriate assessment district proceedings.

If the city council determines at the time of ordering any such main extension that this section shall be applicable thereto, accurate records of the costs thereof shall be maintained by the FMU director, together with an allocation of such costs to all parcels of property, which will be served thereby. Such allocation shall be based on such formula as will result in such costs being apportioned to such parcels in proportion to the benefits thereto, severally and respectively.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

Prior to installation of any water service connection which will be served in whole or in part by a water main extension subject to special connection charges, the special connection charge must be paid in addition to all other charges and fees provided for by this chapter. Such charge shall be in an amount equal to the cost allocated to the parcel of property by the FMU director, as provided in section 22.44 of this chapter.

If a water main extension is financed by assessment district proceedings, any charge provided for by this section with respect thereto shall be deemed paid for each parcel of property within such assessment district, by virtue of the assessment levied thereon in such proceedings.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))