To ensure equity among our customers, IRWD separates the cost of building water and sewer infrastructure from the cost of daily operations and maintenance. Infrastructure costs, called capital projects, are financed through general obligation bonds, the debt service for these is paid through a combination of property taxes and connection fees. Daily operation and maintenance costs, which are further separated between the water and sewer systems, are funded through monthly user rates. The fundamental principle behind these precise allocations of cost is that each end-user pays his fair share, no more and no less.

IRWD's monthly water rates have two components: a commodity rate set to recapture the variable cost of purchasing a combination of imported water and locally produced groundwater; and a service charge set to recover the fixed costs of maintaining our water distribution system. The monthly water charges for a typical residential customer using in the 15 ccf to 20 ccf range are among the lowest in Orange County (one ccf equals 748 gallons).

In the past decade, IRWD lowered sewer rates nine times, or a total of approximately 60 percent and currently has sewer rates that are among the lowest in the state. These rate reductions have been made possible by modifications in the sewage treatment process, energy saving measures, and efficient management.

Adopted Operating Budget - Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2008

IRWD Rates and Charges

• Residential Rates
• Commercial Industrial Rates
• Landscape Rates
• Agricultural Rates

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