For Immediate Release
November 7, 2013
Contact: Mark Williams, General Manager
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
(415) 472-1734

Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Seeks Public Input on Potential
Changes to the way Sewer Bills are Calculated

San Rafael (November 7, 2013) — The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) Board of Directors will review a draft report later this month that proposes several options for calculating customers’ sewer bills, and the District is asking for the public’s input on the report.

“We’d like the public to come and hear what the draft report says and give us their input on the options it presents,” said LGVSD General Manager Mark Williams. “The Board would like to hear from customers and use that input to make their decision.”

The board will hear a presentation on the draft report at its regular meeting on Thursday, November 14th at 4:30 p.m. at the LGVSD offices, 300 Smith Ranch Road, San Rafael.

The District’s review of its billing method was prompted by customer requests to consider flow based rates. Currently all residential customers pay a flat annual rate for sewer service, whether they live in an apartment, condominium or single family home. The flat rate method does not take into account the volume of water used, and sewage produced, by each customer.

Commercial and industrial customers in the District are currently charged based on their usage and strength of discharged wastewater, but the draft report also suggests some updates to those rate structures to more accurately reflect the strength factors for various user categories.

At this time, the District is not considering any sewer rate increases for the 2014-15 fiscal year. However, changes in the rate methodology could increase or decrease customer bills in some categories.

One key factor for the District in considering the revised billing methods is the time and expense of calculating and collecting charges for its 10,000 customers. Currently, sewer charges for residential customers are included in property tax bills and Marin County disburses sewer fees directly to the District.

The draft report, which was prepared by the consulting firm HDR Engineering, also includes a review of the methods used to assess connection fees for new development and possible recommendations for changes to the way those fees are levied.

A copy of the draft report by HDR will be available for review at the District offices on November 11, 2013 and will be part of the Board’s agenda packet, available on the District’s website at: https://www.lgvsd.org/document-library/agendas-minutes/

For more information about the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District and its programs, visit
https://www.lgvsd.org/