Zone 7 plans to increase its base water connection fee by 4 percent on May 1, 2017, agency staff revealed Jan. 12, 2017, during a stakeholder meeting. Combined with the annual inflation hike, this will bring its current rate for a 5/8" meter up a total of 7.4 percent from $25,320 to $27,185, or $1,865. Rates would rise again on Jan. 1, 2018, and annually thereafter based on the ENR construction index. The increase is based on an updated water connection fee study, which re-calibrated population growth estimates and the costs of improvements necessary to serve additional residents through 2040. The revised $557 million capital projects list is slightly less than what was projected in the 2011 study but the projected percentage of new households also declined, which leaves fewer dwelling units to split the cost. The overall fee methodology remains the same. BIA|Bay Area members in attendance urged Zone 7 staff to ensure that the data being used to calculate water demand projections reflects the industry's increasingly water efficient homes through improved fixtures, reduced landscaping and the use of recycled water.
