Sewer

City of Rohnert Park - Resolution 2024-088 (PDF)
Rates effective on bills rendered after July 1, 2025

Residential Rates

• Monthly Base Charge: $18.65
• Flow Charge (per thousand gallons): $13.57

Commercial Rates

Monthly Base Charge billed per meter, based on meter size

• Up to 3/4-inch meter: $ 48.63
• 1-inch meter: $81.05
• 1.5-inch meter: $162.11
• 2-inch meter: $259.37
• 3-inch meter: $486.32
• 4-inch meter: $810.53
• 6-inch meter: $1,621.05
• 8-inch meter: $2,593.68

Flow Charge (Per Thousand Gallons)

Based on wastewater "strength"

• Multi-Family Residential: $13.57
• Commercial - Low Strength: $14.18
• Commercial - Med Strength: $19.05
• Commercial - High Strength: $28.76

Categorization of Business Type to Strength Classification

Low Strength

• Bar without food
• Beauty Salon
• Car wash
• Church
• Convalescent home
• Dry cleaners
• Health club/spa
• Hospital
• Hotel/motel w/o restaurant
• Laundromat
• Manufacturing w/o process disch.
• Office building
• Public/municipal building
• Retail stores
• Schools

Medium Strength

• Auto repair facilities
• Auto service stations
• Commercial laundry
• Hotel/motel with restaurant
• Mixed use, incl. restaurants
• Restaurant with grease interceptor
• Retail with food services

High Strength

• Bakery
• Bar with food
• Grocery with bakery, butcher, or food waste grinder
• Mortuary
• Restaurant without grease interceptor

Winter Average / Sewer Cap

The City of Rohnert Park bills commercial sewer customers based on the amount of wastewater they generate. Sewer charges for commercial accounts and accounts that meter domestic and irrigation usage separately are billed according to actual consumption for the billing period. Sewer charges for residential utility accounts, including single-family residences and multi-family residences, are billed according to the winter average/sewer cap.

The winter average/sewer cap is the most equitable form of billing for our residential and multi-family customers. The City of Rohnert Park determines the winter average/sewer cap by averaging the billing periods during the Winter season. These are typically wet months when it can be reasonably assumed that residents are using all water indoors, and therefore, virtually all water is also being released into the sewer system as wastewater.

For example, the winter average/sewer cap calculation:

• Period 1: 8,000 gallons
• Period 2: 9,000 gallons
• Period 3: 7,000 gallons

Total consumption: 8,000 + 9,000 + 7,000 = 24,000

Total number of reading periods (months) 2022-23 winter average/sewer cap = 3

• Total consumption 24,000 / Total number of periods (months) 3 = 8,000 gallons

Winter average/sewer cap = 8,000

Therefore, based on this winter average/sewer cap, the maximum the City would bill this resident for sewer usage would be 8,000 gallons.

The sewer portion of this resident's utility bill would appear as follows:

• Sewer Fixed: $18.65
• Sewer Usage: $108.56

The winter average/sewer cap is re-evaluated every year; the new winter average/sewer cap is applied to residents' accounts starting each April. A decrease in usage during December, January, and February will lower the winter average/sewer cap for the following year. If the water usage during a billing period is ever less than the winter average/sewer cap, the sewer charges will be based on consumption, not the winter average/sewer cap. New accounts are assigned a winter average/sewer rate according to the number of residents living at the property.

Typical Winter Average / Sewer Cap Amounts