Sewer Rates & Claim Forms

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Sewer Rates

OC San is responsible for collecting, treating and/or recycling approximately 185 million gallons of wastewater each day. It is essential that our facilities be kept in good condition to prevent system failures, permit violations, sewage spills and beach closures. The sewer service fee is for the collection, treatment, and disposal of your wastewater (sewage). It is collected annually as a line item on your property tax bill.

For sewer rate resources

Sewer Rates & Claim Forms

Contact OC San Rate Line

Phone: (714) 593-7281
Email: rates@ocsan.gov

Sample Tax Bill

picture of sample property tax bill

Sewer Rates & Claim Forms

OC San approved the sewer fee rate structure for 2026 - 2027.

View Sewer Rates (2026-27)

Resources

FAQs

Who is the Orange County Sanitation District?

The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) is a special district responsible for safely collecting, treating, disposing, and recycling of wastewater. OC San is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of an elected official from each of the local sewer agencies or cities within our 479-square-mile service area.

What services does the Orange County Sanitation District provide me?

OC San is responsible for collecting, treating and recycling approximately 180  million gallons of wastewater  every day. We take wastewater from your local system, transport it to one of the regional facilities in Huntington Beach or Fountain Valley, treat it, reclaim the recyclable products such as solids, and water, generate energy from the biogas to power our facilities.

It is essential that our facilities be kept in good condition to prevent system failures, permit violations, sewage spills, and beach closures. 

What is the fee?

The sewer service fee is for the collection, treatment, and recycling or disposal of your wastewater . It is a fee, not a tax because it is based upon your use of the sewage system and not on the value of your property.

How is the fee calculated?

It is based upon the demand placed on our system by your property:

  • Residential properties, including condominiums and town homes, are charged a flat rate.
  • Multi-family (apartment buildings including duplexes and triplexes) and mobile home parks are charged on a per unit basis.
  • Non-residential properties are charged a rate per thousand square feet of improvements. The rate varies based upon the use of the property.
Why does the fee appear on the property tax bill?

The sewer service fee is an annual charge that appears on your property tax bill. Using the property tax bill is the most cost-effective method of fee collection since OC San does not issue invoices.

Was the fee voter approved?

No public vote is required. State law requires OC San to notify rate payers you when a fee increase is proposed though a Proposition 218 notice. When a fee is imposed or increased, a Public Notice is published in the local newspaper and notifications are mailed to property owners. The fees are enacted after a public hearing by a vote of the Board Members.

How do you satisfy the requirements of Propositions 13 and 218?

Proposition 13 deals with taxes. This user fee is based upon the average use of the sewer system, not property values. Therefore, the user fee is not a tax and is not governed by Proposition 13.

Rather than an election, Proposition 218 requires OC San to mail a notice to each property owner and conduct a public hearing when a fee is imposed or increased.

What has OC San done to keep rates low?

To reduce costs, OC San is always looking for innovative ways to be more resourceful and efficient while ensuring we maintain our high standard of customer service.

Our ratepayers want to know they are getting a good return on their investment and that we are spending your fees to produce substantial benefits.  Through financial management, new contracts and alternative operations; OC San’s recent cost saving measures have reduced the rate payers cost by $10 million.

Where can I find the Ordinance Information?

I already pay a sewer fee on another bill. Is this a duplicate sewer charge?

That fee may be for the operation and maintenance of your local sewer system which is owned by your local city, water district, or sanitary district. That system collects the sewage from your home, conveys it through the sewers in your local streets, and ultimately transfers it to the large regional trunk sewers and treatment plants that make up the OC San regional system. OC San does not receive any monies collected by these local sewering agencies.

Is the fee going to increase?

The approved uniform single-family residential (SFR) user rate structure over the next five-year period from 2023 - 2028 is:

five-year period
2022-23 2023-24* 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28
$347 $358 $371 $384 $397 $411

  *Current

The multi-family residential (MFR) use per apartment unit has been established by flow monitoring and census data to be 70 percent of the SFR use. Thus, the MFR rate will increase proportionally per unit, per year. Non-residential users pay a rate per 1,000 square feet of building area, based upon the average quantity and strength of wastewater discharged as determined by studies of actual flows discharged into the system by each category of users.

Why does OC San have a 5-year rate schedule?

As the sixth largest wastewater treatment agency in the United States, several factors influence future costs and the rates needed to cover them. OC San is proposing a rate increase necessary to address the cost of inflation on items needed to inspect, repair, operate, and maintain an aging regional treatment and collection system. A multi-year program allows OC San to plan accordingly and saves administrative costs for publishing and mailing notices.

To continue operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and maintain the reliable service we've come to expect, it is essential we continue investing in our facilities. 

Am I eligible for a refund?

Non-residential users that have substantially lower than average water usage are eligible for a reduced charge and/or rebate. If you think you qualify, please complete claim form for a rebate or refund.

As the single-family residence rate (SFR) is a flat rate and is the lowest rate that any user can pay for our services, residential users are not eligible for a rebate.

What if I am not connected to the sewer system?

The OC San sewer service fee ordinance only applies to parcels that are connected to the sewer system. Parcels that are on a septic system are exempt from the OC San sewer service fee since they are not using the system. While we have attempted to identify all parcels that utilize a septic system, it is possible that we may have missed some. If this is your situation, please complete a septic tank refund form.

Could these rate increases have waited a few years?

No, unfortunately they cannot. Deferring small increases now would result in greater increases in the future.

What is this rate increase being spent on? Salaries & Pensions?

OC San spends nearly 80 percent of its budget on infrastructure, including new projects, maintaining its assets, operating expenses and various equipment.  Unlike cities, where the majority of their costs support personnel costs (salaries and pension), the majority of our expenditures support projects.