Wastewater Rates

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Where can I find how much I pay for sewer service?

DSRSD bills single-family dwellings for wastewater service on the owner’s annual property tax bill. The new rate is reflected in county property tax bills. The service charge is listed as DSRSD SEWER SVC on the property tax bill as follows:

Alameda County residents, look under FIXED CHARGES AND/OR SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
Contra Costa County residents, look under SPECIAL TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS .

Newly constructed single-family dwellings may be billed bimonthly until the next property tax bill. We bill all other customers bimonthly.

Residential Customers

Single-Family Dwellings

	Rates Effective July 1, 2025
Class	Annual Rate	Equiv. Bimonthly Rate

Single-family home or townhouse	$530.04	$88.34
Duplex	$1,060.14	$176.69
Single-Family w/ 2nd Dwelling Unit	$927.78	$154.63

Multi-Unit Dwellings

	Bimonthly Rates Effective July 1, 2025

Class
Multifamily/Condominium	$66.27 per dwelling unit

Non-Residential Customers

Commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) customers are charged variable rates based on cost of service and billed bimonthly. The rates have two components: collection through the sanitary sewer system and treatment/disposal at the wastewater treatment facility. The collection rate is based on volume only, while the treatment rate is based on volume and wastewater strength. As a result of the 2023 Local and Regional Sewer Cost of Service Study, the wastewater strength categories have been expanded and restructured for more accurate allocation of actual treatment costs among CII customers.

Wastewater strength is measured by the degree of organic pollutant known as biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids. Rates are higher for customers with a a higher level of organic pollutant because it costs more to treat. Rates are also higher for customers with higher flow and volume.

Please contact Customer Service at 925-828-8524 if you have questions about the strength factor that applies to your business.

Commercial / Institutional / Industrial

Wastewater Strength*	Business Types**	Billing Unit***	Rates Effective July 1, 2025
Less than or equal to 300 mg/L		ccf	$4.90
Between 300 and 450 mg/L	Hotels/Motels with Dining Facilities, Fast Food Restaurants, School with Cafeteria	ccf	$5.87
Between 450 and 600 mg/L	Banquet facilities, Cafeteria, Full Service Restaurant	ccf	$6.83
Between 600 and 750 mg/L		ccf	$7.80
Between 750 and 900 mg/L	Bakeries, Donut Shops, Ice Cream Shops, Markets with Food, Mortuaries	ccf	$8.76
Between 900 and 1,050 mg/L	Car Washes with Steam Cleaning	ccf	$9.72
Greater than 1,050 mg/L		ccf	TBD by District

*Strength is an average of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS), measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L)
**List of example business types that fall within the strength category. This is not a full list of business types for each strength category.

***One cubic hundred foot (ccf) equals 748 gallons

Pretreatment Program

In addition to the service charges listed above, customers participating in the District’s Industrial Pretreatment Program pay fees that reflect the DSRSD staff effort involved in permitting, monitoring, and lab analyses. All industrial customers complete an Industrial Waste Discharge Permit Application to determine whether they are required to participate in the program. Contact the Senior Environmental Compliance Inspector at 925-875-2335 regarding industrial wastewater rates, the Pretreatment Program, or the permit.

Rate Changes

The District bases its wastewater rates on the cost of providing service to each class of customer and rates usually increase each year on July 1. The DSRSD Board of Directors may change rates at other times as a result of rate studies or other factors. Customers are notified when rate changes are proposed as required by Proposition 218. Customers are encouraged to attend public hearings regarding rate changes and submit written comments. For more information on your rights to protest rate changes, see:

Frequently Asked Questions

How am I billed for sewer services?
DSRSD bills individually metered residential dwellings for sewage collection and treatment on the owner’s annual property tax bill. The service charge is listed as DSRSD SEWER SVC on the property tax bill. Newly constructed residential dwellings may be billed on the bimonthly water bill until the next property tax bill. The District bills all other customers bimonthly.
Why does DSRSD bill residents for sewer service annually via property tax bills?
The process helps keep District rates low by eliminating unpaid residential sewer service bills. When special districts such as DSRSD collect fees through property tax rolls, they receive 100 percent of the amounts billed to property owners, regardless of the actual amounts collected. The counties charge the districts a per-property billing fee and assume both the risk of nonpayment and the rewards of penalties and interest. DSRSD’s fees for collecting and treating residential wastewater are largely determined by fixed costs that must be spread over all customers. Delinquent accounts unfairly penalize customers who pay on time and can lead to higher rates for everyone.
When did DSRSD start billing annually for residential sewer service?
In 2000 for southern San Ramon customers and in 2008 for Dublin customers.
Why are non-residential customers billed bimonthly for wastewater services?
Their sewer service charges vary in each bimonthly billing period. Businesses, schools, and industrial customers pay for sewer service based on the amount of water they use for domestic (indoor) purposes, plus “wastewater strength” factors that affect the cost of collecting and treating their sewage. In contrast, residential customers pay a flat annual charge based on the average cost per dwelling unit for sewage collection and treatment.
Who provides wastewater services in Dougherty Valley?
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) owns the sanitary sewers in Dougherty Valley and sends the wastewater to its treatment plant in Martinez.
Who provides wastewater services in Pleasanton?
The City of Pleasanton owns and operates its sanitary sewers and bills residents for wastewater collection and treatment. The city contracts with DSRSD for wastewater treatment.