Dougherty Valley State Water Project Charges FAQs

DSRSD purchases potable drinking water from Zone 7 Water Agency (Zone 7). Zone 7 receives and purchases water supply from the State Water Project (SWP), which is the primary source of drinking water in the Tri-Valley.

In Alameda County, Zone 7 directly recovers a portion of SWP-related costs through assessments collected on the property tax roll. Zone 7 does not have the authority to directly recover SWP-related costs through the Contra Costa County property tax roll. As a result, for residential and commercial customers* in Dougherty Valley these costs are recovered through two specific charges, levied by DSRSD on behalf of Zone 7: the Standby Charge and the Incremental Charge. 

• Standby Charge: An annual fixed amount of $170.75 per parcel, first established in 2001 and which has remained unchanged since 2019
• Incremental Charge: A variable amount first established in 2019 to recover the costs that exceed the amount collected through the Standby Charge, which is set annually based on changing costs of SWP water supplies

These appear on your property tax bill as:

• “DSRSD-DRTY VLY 01-1” (Standby Charge)
• “DSRSD-DRTY VLY SWP” (Incremental Charge)

While these charges appear on the property tax bill, it is important to note that this are not a property tax itself, but rather a pass-through charge for the cost of supplying water to the Dougherty Valley.

*Government agencies are billed these amounts directly by DSRSD

Each year, DSRSD sends an informational notice to water customers in the Dougherty Valley with information about the State Water Project (SWP) charges. These notices are a part of the legal process for levying the charge on the Contra Costa County property tax roll.

The Incremental Charge pays the increasing portion of costs tied to the State Water Project (SWP) that exceed the Standby Charge amount.

The amount of the Incremental Charge is tied directly to the cost of SWP water purchased by Zone 7 Water Agency. This amount can increase each year due to many factors, including:

• Increased energy costs for pumping and transporting water
• Infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, including major capital projects such as the 2018 Orville Reservoir Spillway repair
• Regulatory changes or environmental protections that add new requirements and costs to diversion of water, reservoir storage, and conveyance

The Incremental Charge ensures that these SWP costs are recovered fairly and equally from all customers receiving water from DSRSD, whether in Alameda County or Contra Costa County.

For additional information on SWP costs, please visit the Zone 7 Water Agency website (starting on page 108).

The Incremental Charge is reviewed and updated annually to reflect Zone 7 Water Agency’s State Water Project (SWP) costs to supply water to DSRSD for Dougherty Valley. The current amount was established by DSRSD Resolution No. 9-24(PDF, 3MB), which set the DVSAD Incremental Charge through Fiscal Year 2028; rate adjustments following the initial Fiscal Year 2024 rate are based on Dougherty Valley Incremental State Water Project Annual Reports.

Details of the SWP charges and the parcel-level calculations for Fiscal Year 2027 can be found in the Dougherty Valley Incremental State Water Project Charge Report for FY 2026-27(PDF, 3MB) (Draft).

At the June 16, 2026 meeting, the DSRSD Board of Directors will consider approving collection of the charges through property tax bills. This is a routine, procedural step that approves only the method of collection; the charges themselves are not on the agenda for consideration at this meeting. Customers are welcome to attend the public hearing and comment on the proposed action.

Written protests contesting the placement of these charges on the property tax roll may be submitted to DSRSD any time before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

Submittal Options

• Mail or In Person: DSRSD – Protest Levy of DVSWP on Property Tax Roll, 7051 Dublin Blvd., Dublin, CA 94568 

• Email: rates@dsrsd.com 

• Fax: (925) 829-1180