Carlsborg Sewer Monthly Fees Not What They Appear To Be.
Exactly what is an ERU (Equivalent Residential Unit)? It is a fixed BASE RATE and a RATE THAT IS DETERMINED BY WATER CONSUMPTION. We have heard for years now that Clallam county officials "don't know what the monthly costs per home will be" and "when we know you will know". This post is about the monthly fees, I'll get into hookup costs in a later post.
We have heard "estimates" of $60.00, $68.00 and now $70.00 per month just to pipe sewage away from your home, but wait that's not all of the monthly costs. Let's see that BASE RATE and WATER CONSUMPTION RATE from Clallam County Public Work Department Frequently Asked Questions August 15, 2014.
The Base Rate is "estimated" to be $26.00 per month and the Water Consumption Rate is based on an "estimated" 125 gallons of water per day (gpd) at a rate of $8.66 per one hundred cubic feet of water per month or $0.0866 per cubic foot. Thus an average family consuming 125 gallons of water per day would have a monthly sewer bill of $70.00. So, how many cubic feet are there in 125gpd? That is 125gal/7.4805 gallons in a cubic foot would be 16.71 cubic foot of water. Ok you say, that don't look so bad, but wait, there's more.
The EPA states, "The average American family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day.
On average, approximately 70 percent of that water is used indoors, with
the bathroom being the largest consumer (a toilet alone can use 27
percent!)." Hey! what happened to that 125gpd? yeah I thought it was kind of low too. http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.html
I will break it down and show you how much you may actually end up paying per month just to pipe poop away from your home using a statement made by the Clallam County Public Work Administrative Director in his response to my inquires about "what is an ERU" and "how many ERUs will a typical home be assessed?" Read the E-Mail Exchange below and you will see how it is all broken down and how much the monthly user fees may actually be. Bob's response is in RED.
Bob Martin, P.E.
Clallam County Public Works
Administrative Director
(360) 417-2389
(360)417-2513 - FAX
bmartin@co.clallam.wa.us
Clallam County Public Works
Administrative Director
(360) 417-2389
(360)417-2513 - FAX
bmartin@co.clallam.wa.us
From: B Frazier [mailto:bryand@olypen.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2014 12:37 PM
To: Gray, Steve
Cc: Martin, Bob
Subject: ERUs
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2014 12:37 PM
To: Gray, Steve
Cc: Martin, Bob
Subject: ERUs
Steve, Bob,
Steve per our conversation Dec. 5, 2014, concerning
ERUs and how many ERUs a typical household may be assessed? According to
the EPA a typical 4 person household uses 400 gallons of water per day (gpd).
The Carlsborg Sewer Financial Plan estimates 1 ERU to be 125
gallons of water per day (gpd) average volume charge/ERU. (Monthly Rates,
Monthly Base Charge per ERU, Page 14).
So, based on the EPA average of 400gpd and reading the per
ERU in the financial plan of 125gpd I would equate that to be 3.2 ERUs per
typical household of 4 or the gallons per day divided by the ERU. Water
consumption is not the same as wastewater generated due to water transmission
losses, outdoor use (irrigation, car washing, or other “non-consumptive uses)
and inflow/infiltration (I/I.) In the case of Carlsborg Gray & Osborne
used 125gpd/ERU plus actual I/I data from Sequim for estimating sewage
flows. The PUD in their 2010 water system report estimated future
Carlsborg water consumption needs to be about 178gpd/ERU.
400gpd EPA AVG. / 125gpd per
ERU = 3.2 ERUs per average household of 4. Is this the correct assumption
of how ERUs will be assessed on each individual households water use per day
divided by the 125gpd ERU? No. Each
residence will be considered to be one ERU. As outlined in the financial
plan, monthly household charges are proposed to be calculated using a base rate
(estimated to be $26/month)and a consumption rate based on actual water
consumption (estimated to be $0.0866 per cubic foot of water used.) So a
household with an average water consumption of 125 gpd, would have a monthly
sewer bill of about $70. ERUs are used to estimate design flows, to size
pipes and pumps, and to estimate system costs and revenues. They are not
used to calculate monthly residential bills. We will however base
bills for commercial, industrial, and public facilities in part on the number
of ERU’s they represent, which will of course vary depending size and type of
user. Of course ultimately actual rates and rate structure is subject to
approval of a sewer use ordinance by the Board of Commissioners.
I do know that this is exactly how it is being done in Mason
County, Belfair, Shelton, North Bay, Allyn, Beard’s Cove and Rustlewood and
used the same FCS Group for their Financial Plan.
Sincerely,
Bryan Frazier
(360) 683-4424
Now it's my turn to use his own statement to prove I'm right. RED indicates reference to his response to my inquiry. I've checked my math believe me I double and triple checked it. See below. Oh yeah, I switched the e-mails around so you could read my inquiry and his responses first and then my reply to him.
Bob,
A comparison,
EPA average water consumption
for a household of 4 is 400gpd / 7.4805 gallons per cubic foot = 53.47 cubic feet per day actual consumption x $0.0866 per
cubic foot of water used = $4.63/day x
30days = $138.90/month + $26.00/month base
charge = $164.90/month. http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.html
According to your explanation
below, 1 ERU is 125gpd / 7.4805 gal per cubic foot equals 16.71 cubic feet/day actual consumption x $0.0866 per cubic
foot of water used = $1.45/day x 30/days =
$43.41/month + $26.00/month base charge = $69.41 rounded up to $70/month
for those on meters.
Those on private well: CCDPW FAQ
August 15, 2014 page, 7. 1 ERU is 150gpd / 7.4805 gal per cubic foot equals 20 cubic feet/day actual consumption x $0.0866 per cubic foot
of water used = $1.73/day x 30/days =
$51.90/month + $26.00/monthly base charge =
$77.90/month +/- $.90 ($78.80 per FAQ).
So, 1 ERU = 125gpd x 3.2/ERUs = 400gpd EPA AVERAGE / 7.4805
gallons per cubic foot of water = 53.47 cubic feet per
day actual water consumption x $0.0866 per cubic foot of water used = $4.63/day
x 30/days = $138.90/month + 26.00/monthly base
charge = $164.90/month.
Just as I had stated in my e-mail today to you and Steve
Gray the “, based on the EPA average of 400gpd and reading the per ERU in the
financial plan of 125gpd I would equate that to be 3.2 ERUs per typical
household of 4 or the 400gpd divided by the 125gpd/ ERU = 3.2/ERUs.” Actual cubic
feet of water consumption WILL determine the number of ERUs per household,
according to YOUR figures and YOUR explanation, “monthly household
charges are proposed to be calculated using a base rate (estimated to be
$26/month)and a consumption rate based on actual water consumption
(estimated to be $0.0866 per cubic feet of water used)”.
Thank you for providing the answers to my inquiries
concerning ERUs and verifying my mathematic formulas are correct. Unless
the county plans to charge a FLAT $70.00/month per residential unit and no more
than that, period.
Sincerely,
Bryan Frazier
(360) 683-4424
As you can see the monthly rate has just gone WAY up "BASED ON ACTUAL WATER CONSUMPTION" to offset the cost of "INFLOW and INFILTRATION" into the sewer system, because they (Clallam County) have to pay the city of Sequim to treat it and pay per gallon treated.
I do believe that this "consumptive water rate" will be in addition to your monthly PUD water bill, so you get to pay for your water twice. In AND out, isn't that nice?
Here is Mr. Martins response to my reply to him. I'll ask now, does anyone really think the citizen of Carlsborg only use 125 gallons of water per day per every 1.85 people (ok 2 people)? Really? Take note he only refers to "WINTER RATES" Jan, Feb, March, Oct, Nov and December. What happened to the Spring and Summer RATES? People don't use water during the Spring and Summer? Well the answer is that people use MORE WATER during the SUMMER months which increases the GALLONS PER DAY and would lead to higher "ACTUAL CONSUMPTION" which would lead to HIGHER SEWER BILLS as explained above.
Here is Mr. Martins response to my reply to him. I'll ask now, does anyone really think the citizen of Carlsborg only use 125 gallons of water per day per every 1.85 people (ok 2 people)? Really? Take note he only refers to "WINTER RATES" Jan, Feb, March, Oct, Nov and December. What happened to the Spring and Summer RATES? People don't use water during the Spring and Summer? Well the answer is that people use MORE WATER during the SUMMER months which increases the GALLONS PER DAY and would lead to higher "ACTUAL CONSUMPTION" which would lead to HIGHER SEWER BILLS as explained above.
Brian:
Just to clarify, your arithmetic
below is fine, but the typical household in Carlsborg does not consume
400gpd. The winter month average of 125gpd/residential customer was derived
from actual metered water billings for winter months over a consecutive two
year period (as shown in the attached excerpt from the June 2012 facility
plan.)
The rate structure proposed in
the financial plan rewards water conservation. Obviously if someone does
use 400 gpd, or 3.2 times the average residential water usage in Carlsborg,
they will (and should) have a significantly higher sewer (and water) bill, as
you have shown, but this will clearly not be typical in Carlsborg.
Bob Martin, P.E.
Clallam County Public Works
Administrative Director
(360) 417-2389
(360)417-2513 - FAX
bmartin@co.clallam.wa.us
Clallam County Public Works
Administrative Director
(360) 417-2389
(360)417-2513 - FAX
bmartin@co.clallam.wa.us
The "metered water billing" in Carlsborg Mr. Martin refers to are for 2004 and 2005 in the 49-82 thousand gallon range, however, for 2013 it was 19.8 MILLION GALLON TOTAL WATER PURCHASED in the Carlsborg UGA. I THINK AN UPDATE AND SOME NEW MATH ARE IN ORDER FOR THE COUNTY.
