Sewer Connection Fee Calculation and Other Fees for Residential Properties

Connection Fees

• Single Family Home            $1,000
• Duplex                                 $2,000
• Triplex                                 $3,000
• Multi-family Residential       $805 per dwelling unit (for properties with four or more units)

     ·        Exemptions: The Riverland Annexed (Chula Vista, SA 19-A, and Riverland Isles, SA 19-B) and Twin Lakes North areas are NOT required to pay the Connection Fee. Under the Riverland Annexation Agreement, property owners located in the Riverland Annexed Area are exempt from paying Connection Fees. Broward County contributed $700,000 to the City, and the City agreed not to charge Connection Fees to residential properties in the area.  Under the Twin Lakes North Annexation Agreement, Broward County also contributed the Connection Fee.  Property owners in these areas will be responsible for the on-site re-plumbing of the property to connect to the new sewers (including septic tank abandonment) and will be required to pay the monthly sewer user charge and the 10% surcharge.

Sewer Connection Fee Calculation and Other Fees for Non-Residential Properties

To calculate the Connection Fees for Non-Residential Properties, you will need the following:

• The most recent 36 months of water consumption. If you do not have 36 months worth of water bills you can obtain the consumption from the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Water Billing Department (Phone 954-828-5150). Keep in mind that the consumption numbers they give you are in thousands.
• The number of billing days for each months water consumption.  The number of billing days is defined as the number of days from one meter read date to the next.

How to calculate your non-residential property fee:

1.      Obtain the three highest months of water consumption from the most recent 36 months.

2.      Add the three highest months of water consumption to obtain the total water consumption.

3.      Obtain the number of billing days for each month.

4.      Add the number of billing days for each month for the total number of billing days.

5.      Divide the total water consumption by the total number of billing days. This gives you the daily consumption rate.

6.      Divide the daily consumption rate by 300, (300 represents 300 gallons per day which is 1 Equivalent Residential Connection or ERC rate). This will give you the ERC rate.

7.      The ERC rate is then multiplied by $1,000. This amount is your Connection Fee.

Example:

The three highest months of water consumption and the number of billing days for each water bill are as follows:

Consumption (in thousands)               Billing Days

99                                                        28

85                                                        30

70                                                        29

Total         254,000                                                     87

Therefore the total consumption for the 3 highest months is 254,000.  The total number of billing days is 87.  Therefore, the daily consumption rate is 2,919.54.  The ERC rate is calculated by dividing the daily consumption rate by 300 gallons per day or as follows: 2,919.54/300.  The ERC rate is 9.73180.  Therefore the Connection Fee is $9,731.80.

NOTE:  The Connection Fee you calculate will only be an ESTIMATE of the actual Connection Fee you will be required to pay. WaterWorks 2011 will obtain the most recent 36 months of water consumption once the sewer area is certified as complete by the Broward County Development Management Division and the City Engineer sets the Project Completion Date. The highest months may differ slightly from your calculation.

Also, in the event where past water use is not a basis for estimating maximum current water use or where there has not been water service for the past twelve months, the Connection Fee will be calculated using Table A of the "Guidelines for Calculating Sanitary Sewer Connection Fees."

Additional Costs for both Residential Properties and Non-Residential Properties

• Permits

o        Broward County Development Management Division – approximately $40. Fees for commercial and multi-residential properties will be determined at time of review.

o        City of Fort Lauderdale – approximately $60 

·         Plumbing Contractor Costs

o        It is estimated to cost approximately $1,500 – $3,500 to properly abandon your septic tank and install the plumbing pipe from your house to the sewer lateral connection that the City will install at your property line. 

·         Sewer Service Fees

o        You will also have to pay a sewer service fee as part of your monthly utility bill. For a typical single family home, you can expect to pay and average monthly bill for sanitary sewer service between $33 and $44 per month. This monthly fee covers the cost to process the sewage and includes a 10% surcharge that will be in effect for a 20 year period, as required for payment of funding for the WaterWorks 2011 Program. The monthly sewer charge will appear 90-days after the sanitary sewer system is certified as complete.

Return to Connection Process Home Page