OC San is one of the largest wastewater treatment agencies on the West Coast. With $11 billion in assets and a 10-year $3 billion Capital Improvement Program to maintain those assets, we are large. Those assets include 388 miles of regional sewer pipes, 15 pump stations, and two treatment facilities that process an average of 180 million gallons of wastewater daily generated by 2.6 million people.
To make this all happen it is necessary that our finances are appropriately matched. They need to cover the sewage collection, treatment, disposal, and recycling system to uphold the appropriate level of wastewater treatment services. Most of the money that funds OC San comes from user fees and charges, with a smaller amount coming from property taxes, industrial waste permit user fees, and interest earnings. This money is then used for infrastructure improvements, operating expenses, and debt service.
Every five years OC San conducts a rate study to assess the comprehensive cost of providing wastewater service over the course of the following five years. This includes establishing proposed rates at sufficient levels to fund annual operations and maintenance expense and necessary capital infrastructure that are cost-based and proportional to customers.
Due to our efficient operations and size, OC San sewer service fees remain among the lowest in California and in the United States for wastewater treatment facilities. At the end of the proposed rate program in 2028, OC San’s rates are expected to remain below the projected statewide average.
The Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, to consider your input on the proposed rate changes which covers a five-year period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028. The hearing will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the OC San Board Room, 10844 Ellis Avenue, Fountain Valley.
For additional details view the notifications below and visit our Sewer Fee webpage.