Fairfield Municipal Code Art. 22.45 Water Rates and Charges

The procedure of rendering bills for water service, their payment, and the consequences on nonpayment, unless otherwise provided elsewhere in this chapter, shall be governed by the FMU regulations and the city’s financial policies.

In conformance with Government Health and Safety Code Section 116900 et seq., nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the City to discontinue residential water service for nonpayment.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

No person shall receive water service without payment of the rates and charges provided herein. The word "person" as used herein shall mean any individual, firm, or corporation, or the state or the United States of America or any public corporation, political subdivision, city, county, district, or agency of either, including this city.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

A. Water rates shall be charged by user class, as set forth in this section, reflecting the different capacity and water volume requirements for each class. Each user in a class shall pay charges in two parts:

1. A daily service charge to be paid regardless of water use and

2. A volume charge to be the result of the rate for the user class applied to user’s volume usage.

B. Water rate user classes shall be as follows:

"Residential"

shall include all service to single-family, multi-family and mobile home properties.

"General Service"

shall include all non-residential accounts, except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (3) through (5).

"Large Industrial"

shall include non-residential accounts, using an average of over one million gallons per day.

"Landscape Irrigation"

shall be limited to those water users requiring service exclusively for landscaping purposes.

"Raw Water Irrigation"

shall be limited to those water users using non-potable water for landscape irrigation service.

"Construction water meter jumpers"

shall be limited to water users described under section 22.24.

C. The rates within each user class shall be established by resolution of the City Council.

D. Detector check valves for fire sprinkler systems shall be billed on the basis of the bypass meter size at the amount stated in this section. Privately-owned fire hydrants shall be billed an annual charge per fire hydrant as approved by resolution from time to time by city council, which charges shall cover all water furnished through the applicable sprinkler systems and hydrants.

E. Low Income Senior/Disabled Refund. A refund may be made to certain customers under the following conditions:

1. On March 1, following the calendar year for which the refund is applicable, the customer making application for the refund meets all of the following criteria: (a) is over sixty-two (62) years of age, or is considered disabled under social security law and receives supplemental social security income for disabled persons, or is a veteran in receipt of a non service connected disability pension from the Veterans Administration, and (b) such individual is a "head of household," (c) that such individual has paid the charges imposed by this section for the twelve (12) months of the preceding calendar year, (d) that the combined annual "gross income" of the household of which such individual is head is less than or equal to the United States Housing and Urban Development eligibility limit for respective family size of household with very low income for the preceding calendar year, (e) that the water service for which such charges were paid was delivered to said individual’s residence, and (f) that such individual had made no other application for a refund for the same calendar year.

2. Beginning August 1, 2013, the amount of the refund referred to in paragraph (1) shall be $118.00. On each July 1 thereafter, the amount of the refund shall increase by the net percentage increase in residential rates from the prior July 1. The City Council may amend by resolution the conditions for receipt of the refund and the amount of the refund.

3. The refund provided for in paragraph (2) shall be applied for on a form prescribed by the city on or before March 1, and shall be payable before April 30 of each year for the preceding calendar year.

4. As used herein, "head of household" shall mean the person filing or who would file a federal income tax return as a head of household, or a single individual, or the husband or wife, if a joint return is filed, but in such case, the individual applying for the refund must additionally declare that his or her spouse has not also applied for the refund for the same period of time.

5. As used herein "gross income" shall include all compensation for wages, salaries, tips, interest income, rental income (after expenses), royalties, pensions, annuities, social security, SSI, and alimony.

F. From time to time, the preparation of studies to determine the appropriate water rates to be charged based on the costs of service may be directed by the City Council or City Manager. All future water rate increases shall be subject to City Council approval in the manner required by law.

G. FMU may use a variety and combination of methods to collect rates and charges, including but not limited to use of property tax roll, internal billing system, or third-party billing system. In the event that customer is a tenant, both tenant and property owner shall be jointly and separately responsible.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

Charges for water service as set forth in section 22.59 of this chapter shall be considered delinquent if not paid by the due date stated on the bill. Following the procedures set forth under article III-6 of the FMU regulations, the delinquent charges shall constitute a lien upon the real property to which the unpaid charge for service was rendered. Such lien shall be imposed pursuant to the state government code section 54354.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

Every customer not covered by section 22.62 being supplied water from FMU to premises outside the city limits shall pay water rates and charges as established by separate agreement duly adopted by resolution from time to time by city council.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))

Large Users as referenced herein are as determined by City Council, and typically (1) customers with average water demands that exceeds one (1) million gallons per day, or (2) customers who have been determined by City Council to qualify as a Large User on a case specific basis. The city council may negotiate and adopt separate contract rates different than those provided in section 22.59.

Contractual rates shall take preference over any other rates set forth in this chapter for Large Users.

(Ord. No. 2025-13, § 1 (Exh. A))