Boston Water and Sewer Commission

PROPOSED CUSTOMER USE CHARGE 

Consumption Water Rate Sewer Rate Per 1,000 Per 1,000 Per 1,000 Per 1,000 

(Cu. Ft/Day) Cubic Feet Gallons Cubic Feet Gallons First 19 $59.59 $7.967 $81.16 $10.850 Next 20 $63.64 $8.508 $88.29 $11.804 Next 50 $69.40 $9.279 $95.27 $12.737 Next 260 $73.97 $9.890 $100.60 $13.449 Next 950 $77.86 $10.409 $106.72 $14.268 Over 1299 $81.05 $10.836 $110.79 $14.812 

The proposed change in water and sewer rates represents a combined revenue increase of  8.90% based on the current fiscal 2021 rate structure and consumption. 

PROPOSED SPECIAL SERVICE FEE SCHEDULE 

Type Fee 

Water and Sewer 

Lien Certificate (1) $150.00 Maximum 

Return Check Processing Fee $15.00 

Cross Connection Inspection (2) $130.00 

Administrative Processing Fee (2a) $65.00 

Installation Application Fee Size of Pipe 

5/8 Inch Cost Basis 

1 Inch Cost Basis 

11/2 Inch Cost Basis 

Excavation Cost Basis ($900.00 deposit required) Fire Pipe Excavation Cost Basis ($2,500.00 deposit required) Water Pipe Inspection: (3) 

Mon. thru Sat., regular hours $335.00 per connect or disconnect Mon. thru Sat., overtime rate $390.00 per connect or disconnect Sunday & Holidays $450.00 per connect or disconnect Sewer Pipe Inspection: (3) 

Mon. thru Sat., regular hours $335.00 per connect or disconnect Mon. thru Sat., overtime rate $390.00 per connect or disconnect Sunday & Holidays $450.00 per connect or disconnect Water and Sewer Construction 

Multi-day inspection (4) $965.00 per diem

Multi-day inspection (4), overtime rate $1,135.00 per diem 

Multi-day inspection (4)(Sunday&Holidays) $1,310.00 per diem 

Water Turn-off (5) $40.00 

Water-On (6) $40.00 

Termination Notice (7) $80.00 

Fire Flow Test $545.00 

Temporary Connection/ 

Hydrant Permit (8) $100.00 per 90-day period or fraction 

thereof, plus water usage ($750.00 deposit  

required) 

Street Sweeper Hydrant Permit $1,820.00 Annually 

Special Meter Test (9) Cost Basis 

Drain Layers License: 

-New $50.00 

-Renewal $15.00 

Construction Plans and Drawings (10) $6.00 

Frozen Meter Replacements (11) Cost Basis 

Water Meter 3" and Larger Installed Cost Basis 

Sewer Abatement Meter Installed Cost Basis 

Meter Transmission Unit Installed Cost Basis 

Off Hour Meter Service Cost Basis 

Leak Up to Owner (LUTO) and 

Lead Pipe Replacement (12) Cost Basis 

Grease Trap Permit Fee $200.00 Annually 

Hydrants (13) Cost Basis 

Industrial Stormwater Inspection Fee (14) Cost Basis 

Creation of as-built Plans (15) $200.00 

(1) In accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 60, Section 23B, "…for land of less than one  acre upon which there is no permanent structure, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for  land upon which is situated no more than a single family residence and  outbuildings, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for land upon which is situated no more  than a two family residence and outbuildings, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for land  upon which is situated no more than a three family residence with outbuildings, a  fee of twenty-five dollars; for land upon which is situated a residence for four or  more families, a fee of one hundred dollars; for land upon which is situated a  commercial, industrial or public utility structure, a fee of one hundred and fifty  dollars. In no case shall the fee exceed one half of one percent of the assessed  value of the real estate …" 

(2) Requires annual inspection of each device. 

(2a) Fee charged when property owner performs inspection but Commission processes  paperwork. 

(3) For inspections that take place on Sundays, Holidays and outside regularly  schedule work hours, a fee of $450.00 per connection or disconnection.  (4) Assessed daily while providing water and sewer inspection services on  construction projects of one or more days duration. 

(5) Not applicable if account was terminated for non-payment of charges (fee  included in Termination Notice Fee). 

(6) Applicable to any account requesting water turn-on services.

(7) Charge for mailing and posting final termination notice and demand for payment  pursuant to the Billing, Termination and Appeal Regulations of the Commission. (8) The Commission currently requires a $750.00 deposit for hydrant meters issued to  private contractors. The deposits are refundable upon return of hydrants less any  usage fees or charges for damage to the meter. On occasion, a hydrant meter is  not returned to the Commission because it has been lost, stolen or misplaced.  Other times a hydrant meter may be returned with a broken, damaged or frozen  insert that causes it to under-register or not register water consumption at all. In  both these instances, the Commission is unable to calculate the amount of water  used. A standard $400.00 water usage fee will be applied in these circumstances. Hydrant Meter Replacement Cost 

Check Valve $100.00 

Hose Cap Reducer 2 ½ x ¾ $100.00 

Hose Nipple $150.00 

Hydrant Cap $300.00 

Hydrant Meter $1,000.00 

Hydrant Wrench $150.00 

Meter Insert $630.00 

(9) No charge if meter is over-registering, based on American Water Works  Association standards, or if a Commission ordered test. 

Size of Meter Fee 

 5/8 Inch $315.00 

 1 Inch $395.00 

 11/2 Inch $550.00 

 2 Inch $775.00 

 3 Inch or larger Cost plus materials 

(10) Maps, drawings and prints may be obtained from the Commission on request.  Public agencies and Commission consultants and contractors (on bid projects  only) receive maps at no charge. The cost per map is detailed below. 

Type Cost 

I. Base Maps: 

 -Prints $ 6.00/sheet 

 -Paper Sepias $ 6.00/sheet 

 -Mylar Sepias* $50.00/set plus printer's charge 

 -Washoff Mylars* $50.00/set plus printer's charge 

II. Water and Sewer Maps: 

 -Prints $ 6.00/sheet 

 -Paper Sepias $ 6.00/sheet 

 -Mylar Sepias Not Available 

 -Washoff Mylars Not Available 

*Sold to government agencies only 

III. Digital Images: Citywide Area By Tile Area Orthophotographs 1 foot resolution: $300.00 Not Available 100 scale PDFs of Water and Sewer Facilities: 

$250.00 $6.00/map tile 

IV. Data Layers: 

Personal Geodatabase $150.00 Each Layer $20.00

AutoCAD DXF format: Water $250.00 $5.00 

AutoCAD DXF format: Sewer $250.00 $5.00 

AutoCAD DXF format: Landbase $250.00 $5.00 

(11) For replacement of frozen meters. 

Size of Meter Replacement Fee 

 5/8 Inch $260.00 

 1 Inch $340.00 

 11/2 Inch $495.00 

 2 Inch $720.00 

 3 Inch or larger Cost plus materials 

(12) Leak up to Owner (LUTO) & Lead Pipe Replacement associated costs for services based on annual contract bid. 

(13) The Commission requires that hydrants used for private fire protection be  purchased from the Commission at cost. 

(14) Industrial stormwater inspections are scheduled to be conducted bi-annually.  The inspections are required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the  prevention of pollution to rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. Below is the Industrial Facility Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program Inspection Fee Schedule. 

Industrial Facility Type Initial Bi Annual Certificate of No Exposure Inspection Inspection Inspection 

Major Industry 

(1 acre or greater) $260.00 $225.00 $115.00 Minor Industry/Business 

(Less than an acre) $150.00 $150.00 $75.00 

(15) The Commission requires an as-built plan for each approved site plan. The as built plans are to be submitted by the owner for all projects deemed complex by the  Commission. All other as-built plans will be created by the Commission for a fee of  $200.00 per site. The Commission will determine which site plans will require an as-built  plan submitted by the owner or an as-built plan to be created by the Commission for  $200.00. 

PROPOSED SPECIAL FIRE SERVICE FEES 

(Internal Sprinklers and Standpipe) 

Size of Pipe Daily Charge 

4 inch or smaller $0.91 

6 inch $2.07 

8 inch or larger $3.68 

PROPOSED LATE PAYMENT CHARGE 

A Late Payment Charge of 0.03836% per day (14% per annum) compounded with each  billing on all amounts past due (greater than 30 days from the original bill posting/printing date). 

PROPOSED SERVICE FEE FOR CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS

Imposition of a "service fee" for processing credit card transactions. The fee will cover  the administrative costs of processing credit card transactions and will be assessed by a  third-party. At no point will the Commission receive any of the monies from the fee,  nor will the fee enter the Commission's records.  

PROPOSED DISCOUNT FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE FULLY DISABLED A 30% discount on all water charges billed. This discount is applicable only to qualified, owner-occupied residential structures with one to four dwelling units. 

Copies of the rate schedule, together with supporting documentation summarizing the  information, data and estimates upon which such rate schedules are based, will be available for inspection on and after December 3, 2020 on the Commission’s website  www.bwsc.org. The Dial in number for the ZOOM meeting is 1-646-558-8656 and the  ZOOM Meeting ID is 83529463111. The link to the ZOOM meeting can also be found  on www.bwsc.org. Any individual, partnership, trust, corporation, association, organized  group or governmental entity that may be affected by the foregoing rates may appear  before the Commission at such hearing, for the purpose of presenting data, views or  argument relevant thereto. Data, views, or argument may be presented virtually via  ZOOM at the hearing, or in the form of a letter which shall be mailed with the Secretary  of the Commission on or before 5:00 PM, December 21, 2020, at the Commission's offices, 980 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02119. The hearing and all continuances 

thereof shall be conducted in accordance with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission Rules of Procedure which may be examined at the Commission's offices.