Rates - Details

Your residential water bill is made up of two parts:

1. The "ready-to-serve" fee portion

This flat rate covers a portion of the costs that the utility incurs regardless of water use. Examples include water quality monitoring and treatment, meter reading, valve and pipe repair and replacement, billing and other types of operational expenses. 2012 and 2013 rates for the ready-to serve fee are shown below:

Ready-to-serve fee	2012 Bi-Monthly Rate	2013 bi-monthly rATE
3/4" meter size	$16.10	$18.40
1"	$21.42	$24.48
1 1/2"	$34.74	$39.70
2"	$50.72	$57.94
3"	$93.34	$106.62
4"	$141.28	$161.40
6"	$274.44	$313.52
8"	$434.24	$496.08
10"	$620.98	$709.06
12"	$807.10	$922.04

NOTE: Residential and non-residential premises that are vacant shall be subject to payment of the full water ready-to-serve charge. This fee will be charged even if the water is turned off.

2. Charges based on consumption

As a water utility, we are required to design and build a water delivery system that can provide water when demand is the highest. Tiered and seasonal rates recover the higher costs of delivering water during irrigation months, when water use doubles and sometimes triples due to outdoor watering. These rates also encourage conservation.

Consumption charges are structured differently for residential and commercial, multi-family, irrigation customers.  For residential accounts, your consumption charge has four different levels or tiers, and is calculated based on the amount of water you use.  So when water use goes up during the irrigation season, you are billed at a higher rate if you use larger amounts of water.

2013 Residential Single-Family Water Rates

Tier	2012	2013
Tier 1 (0 - 800 cf*)	$1.48 per ccf	$1.51 per ccf
Tier 2 (801 - 1,800 cf)	$2.15 per ccf	$2.29 per ccf
Tier 3 (1,801 - 2,800 cf)	$4.01 per ccf	$4.01 per ccf
Tier 4 (2,801 + cf)	$5.27 per ccf	$5.27 per ccf

* cf = cubic feet or 7.48 gallons, ccf = 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons

2013 Seasonal Multi-Family and Commercial Water Rates

	2012	2013
Winter Rate (Nov-June)	$1.67 per ccf	$1.87 per ccf
Summer Rate (July-Oct)	$3.14 per ccf	$3.14 per ccf

2013 Irrigation Water Rates

	2012	2013
Winter Rate (Nov-June)	$1.67 per ccf	$1.87 per ccf
Summer Rate (July-Oct)	$5.49 per ccf	$5.82 per ccf

Click here to view the adopted 2013 rate ordinance

Learn How to Conserve and SAVE!

The City sponsors a variety of water conservation programs for residential customers. Visit the City of Olympia's Water Conservation webpage for more information about indoor and outdoor conservation.

Apartment complexes, commercial and irrigation customers that use higher than average amounts of water can receive a free irrigation system assessment by an irrigation professional. Indoor water conservation rebates are also available. Visit the City of Olympia's Commercial Conservation webpage for more information.

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Residential Bi-Monthly Storm and Surface Water Rates

2012	2013
$21.16	$22.42

Commercial Bi-Monthly Storm and Surface Water Rates

	2012	2013
Administrative Fee	$20.72	$21.96
Parcels developed after Jan 1990 (Category 1)	$3.90 per billing unit*	$4.13 per billing unit
Parcels developed between Jan 1980 and Jan 1990 (Category 2)	$8.14 per billing unit	$8.63 per billing unit
Parcels developed before 1980(Category 3)	$10.26 per billing unit	$10.88 per billing unit

* Billing unit means two thousand five hundred twenty-eight feet of impervious surface development on a parcel.

Click here to view the adopted 2013 rate ordinance

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In 2013, there is no increase for Waste ReSources (garbage, recycling, or organics) rates.

Residential rates are provided in the table below: 

2013 Residential Bi-Monthly Garbage Rates

Cart Size	withOUT Recycle	With Recycle
20 gallon	$16.26	$16.26
35 gallon	$35.22	$28.10
65 gallon	$48.08	$38.36
95 gallon	$83.26	$66.46
2-65 gallons	$91.88	$73.38

In 2013, there is no rate increase for residential garbage and recycling  or organics. The bi-monthly rate for organics service will remain $15.44.

2013 Commercial Rates (Permanent Containers)

Commercial cart, dumpster, and drop box rates vary with the size of container and frequency of pick-up.

Click here to review rate information for:

• Drop Box Services Rates 
• Permanent Container Rates
• On-call (temporary) Container Rates  

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The wastewater fee on the City utility bill is made up of two parts:

1. The City portion covers the cost of maintaining the sewer pipes and pumps that carry wastewater away from your home or business to larger, regional sewer pipelines. This rate did not increase in 2013.
2. The Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Thurston County, (LOTT) Clean Water Alliance portion pays for the regional system and treatment of wastewater before it's released to the environment. The LOTT rate is set annually by the LOTT Board. The LOTT fee increased in 2013 by $0.99 per month ($1.98 bi-monthly). Visit LOTT's website to learn more about LOTT.

Residential and Duplex Bi-Monthly Wastewater Rates

	2012	2013
City Fee	$37.08	$37.08
LOTT Fee	$66.00	$67.98
TOTAL Fee	$103.08	$105.06

Multi-Family Bi-Monthly (70% of residential/duplex rates)

	2012	2013
City Fee	$25.96	$25.96
LOTT Fee	$46.20	$47.59
TOTAL Fee	$72.16	$73.55

Commercial Bi-Monthly Wastewater Rates

	City Fee		Lott Fee
	Fixed up to 1,800 cf	Per 100 cf over 1,800 cf	Fixed up to 1,800 cf	Per 100 cf over 1,800 cf
2012	$37.08	$2.65	$66.00	$3.67
2013	$37.08	$2.65	$67.98	$3.78

 

Click here to view the adopted 2013 rate ordinance

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