as of May 2011

Monthly Water Rates:

Monthly Sewer Rates:

All residential users, including Multi-Family Residential with Master Meter, will also pay $2.00 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage; residential users cap at 10,000 gallons.

All Commercial users pay $2.00 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage. There is no cap for commercial users.

Quarterly Water Rates:

Quarterly Sewer Rates: 

All residential users, including Multi-Family Residential with Master Meter, will also pay $2.00 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage; residential users cap at 30,000 gallons quarterly (10,000 gallons per month).

All Commercial users pay $2.00 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage. There is no cap for commercial users.

Late Fee:

The PSD charges a late fee of $5 or 2 percent of the bill amount, whichever is greater, for bills that are more than 30 days past due.

Reconnection Fee:

Service will be terminated on any account which is 30 days past due. All outstanding charges and a $35 reconnection fee will be collected before service is restored. Service is restored during business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Returned Check Fee:

            The PSD charges $15 for returned checks. If a check is returned, the amount of the check will be charged back to the customer’s account and payment must be made by cash, money order, or cashier’s check within 15 business days of notification, in order to avoid termination of service.

Availability Fee:

The PSD charges both a Water Availability Fee and a Sewer Availability Fee. These fees are charged to properties that have water and/or sewer service available, but are not connected to the systems. These fees apply to vacant lots as well as homes and businesses that are not connected to the services. A property can be charged one or both fees. All lots within 100 feet of an existing gravity sewer main or an existing water main with the ability to provide immediate service are charged availability fees, with the following exceptions:

·         Unbuildable lots.

·         Lots without free and easy access to the nearest main.

            Unbuildable lots are: Designated Wetlands; Inundated Property; and Designated Open Space. Lots without free and easy access to the nearest main are lots within 100 feet of the main, but where no public road right-of-way nor easement exists, which therefore would require crossing another piece of property to serve the subject property.

The Water Availability Fee is $100 per year. The Sewer Availability Fee is $300 per year. Dividable lots of more than two (2) acres are charged a Water Availability Fee of $200 per year, and a Sewer Availability Fee of $600 per year.

Availability Fees are collected through a customer’s Beaufort County property tax bill.

Construction Fees:

Construction fees shall be paid when the actual connections for service are made.  Construction fees are as follows:

A.     Water Meter Installation Fee (Existing Service Line)

                                                                           i.      ¾” Meter                                                   $430

                                                                         ii.      1”  Meter                                                   $570

                                                                        iii.     2” Meter with Meter Box and Backflow   $2,090

                                          iv.   3” Meter with Meter Box and Backflow   Time and Materials  

B.     Water Meter Installation Fee (No Existing Service Line)

                                          i.      ¾” Meter                                                    $1,020

                                          ii.     1”                                                               $1,080

iii      2” and Above Meters                                 Time and Materials

The PSD charges a one-time Sewer Inspection Fee of $100 to new customers at the time they connect to the sewer system. The fee covers the cost of the PSD inspecting the new connection to make sure it meets PSD requirements.

A.        Sewer Service Installation Fee

Individual 4 Inch Lateral:                                               $1,200

B.         Main Extensions, Laterals above 4 Inches,

and Mains Greater than 6 feet in depth:                         Time and Materials      

Capacity Fee:

A Capacity Fee is a one-time charge to new development or to new customers, where money has not been previously paid, to cover the capital costs spent to provide a given service.  The PSD charges both a Water Capacity Fee and a Sewer Capacity Fee. These one-time fees are charged when a property connects to the water or sewer system. In the case of new development, however, the fees are due at the time the PSD agrees to provide service. The fee could be more aptly termed a “system development fee,” because the PSD uses the funds from this fee to cover the cost of system extensions or upgrades required to provide the water and sewer services. The PSD developed its Sewer Capacity Fee by calculating a new customer’s pro rata share of the PSD system expansions and upgrades necessary to provide sewer access to all unserved areas within the PSD.

The Sewer Capacity Fee is $3,040 per residential unit. The Water Capacity Fee is $2,400 per unit.

The PSD offers a one-year, interest-free payment plan for Capacity Fees. The installments are placed on a customer’s utility bill.

Front-Foot Assessment:

A Front-Foot Assessment is a pro rata share of the costs associated with bringing water and/or sewer service to a particular area. For instance, the costs of having to install a sewer main and/or repave a road as a result of putting sewer infrastructure into a neighborhood are divided amongst the properties receiving the sewer service. Following a project to provide water or sewer service, the Front-Foot Assessment is charged to property owners, in addition to Capacity and Connection fees.

An example of a typical Front-Foot Assessment cost for sewer service, per homeowner, would be $6,200. However, that cost can vary depending upon the specifics of the sewer project.

The PSD allows the long-term financing of a Front-Foot Assessment by placing it on a customer’s Beaufort County property tax bill over a 20-year period. When a property owner chooses this option, the PSD also allows the Capacity Fee to be financed over 20 years.