Fairfax City Sewer Charges Explained

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

08/19/2020 4:00 PM

The City of Fairfax has received numerous inquiries from residents about higher-than-expected sanitary sewer service charges listed on bills issued from Fairfax Water, the agency that handles billing for the city. High bills are mainly the result of irrigation – watering lawns and landscapes. Quarterly water usage over 20,000 gallons for the three-month period is usually the issue. Rates for sewer service under 20,000 gallons remain competitive with other regional utilities.

Water Leaks
Residents are encouraged to request adjustments through Fairfax Water if they believe they have a water leak. Occasionally, customers may encounter an unexpected or excessive water/wastewater bill caused by a water leak, outdoor irrigation, or filling of a swimming pool. For unknown leaks inside a customer’s primary building or structure, including outdoor irrigation systems:

• 66 percent of all water usage in a given billing period in excess of a customer’s normal usage. Normal water usage will be calculated by averaging the last three corresponding quarterly billing periods or by using the Fairfax Water quarterly average by customer class for those customers who have not resided at the property in question for more than three years.
• Only one quarterly billing period will be adjusted.
• Water adjustment amounts will be capped at $5,000.

More information about the courtesy leak adjustment is available on Fairfax Water's website (section I.) at .

Sewer Bill Relief
The City bills sanitary sewer service for all water passing through the meter. This policy is currently being studied and will be reviewed by City Council later this year. If a customer receives a sanitary sewer services bill due to usage over 20,000 gallons during the summer period, he/she may be due an adjustment from the City. As a courtesy to city residents, the Fairfax City Council enacted a policy that allows the city manager to remove the excessive charge from the customer’s sewer bill once every five years. It is recommended that residents reserve this relief for bills in excess of 130 percent of their previous winter quarter bill.

The adjustment will cover one billing period based on the customer winter water consumption. The level of adjustment will be based on the following:

• Water leaks in which leaked water does not reach the wastewater system will be reduced by 100 percent based on the preceding year's winter consumption.
• Water leaks in which the leaked water reaches the wastewater system will be reduced by 50 percent based on the preceding year's winter consumption.
• Water usage for high outdoor irrigation in which water does not reach the wastewater system will be reduced by 100 percent based on the preceding year's winter consumption.

More information is available on the Wastewater Billing Services and Rates webpage.

Wastewater Management Background
Wastewater from homes and businesses in the city is sent to the county’s Noman M. Cole Jr., Pollution Control Plant in Lorton, where it is treated and released into Pohick Creek. Most of the sewer fees charged are related to payments to improve aging pipelines and pumping facilities, as well as the capital and operating costs for wastewater treatment at the plant.

Treating wastewater is a sophisticated and expensive process. Improvement projects at the county’s plant are constructed to increase capacity to support a growing population, and to comply with local, state, and federal discharge regulations. Over the last five fiscal years the capital costs for infrastructure improvements was $10 million, and the capital costs for upgrades to the county’s treatment plant have been $25 million. This amounts to more than $4,000 per account.

Wastewater conveyance and treatment is paid for through inter-jurisdictional agreements. The two graphs below are based on a winter quarter of 14,000 gallons, a three-month period used to reflect indoor water use since it occurs in the winter months. The “Wastewater Rates – Regional Graph” illustrates the cost of these services to participating municipalities. The City’s sewer service fees (yellow line) are competitive compared to other utilities when usage is under 20,000 gallons per quarter.

The “City vs County Charges” graph shows that sewer service is less expensive for city residents for consumption volumes under 15,000 gallons per quarter (blue line); however, sewer service is more expensive for city residents when consumption goes beyond 15,000 gallons per quarter. This is because the City utility does not cut off consumption volume like other utilities do. Restructuring the rate system would change this.

The wastewater charges for above minimum usage is much higher than the water charges. Fairfax Water typically charges $3.25 per 1,000 gallons, depending on the type of account. (Visit their website for more information about the water usage charges.) As approved in the FY2021 budget, the City of Fairfax charges $51.08 for the first 5,000 gallons for residential properties and $60.10 for commercial properties. Any usage above 5,000 gallons is charged the above minimum rate of $9.76 per 1,000 gallons.

The City will continue to evaluate and make adjustments to capital spending, as well as consider a new rate structure in which a cutoff is created for used water that does not reach the wastewater system, such as water used for irrigation.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.