Rates

MSWD’s water service rates are organized into four customer classes:

• Single-Family Residential
• Multi-Family Residential (including apartments and mobile home parks served by a master meter)
• Non-Residential (including commercial, governmental, and institutional customers)
• Irrigation

Each rate structure includes two components:

• A fixed monthly service charge, also referred to as the Meter Charge
• A variable water usage charge, based on the amount of water consumed and referred to as the Water Flow Charge

Fixed monthly charges are based on the size of the water connection serving the property or, for multi-family accounts, the number of residential units. These charges are designed to recover a portion of the District’s fixed costs.

Fixed costs are incurred regardless of water usage. As a result, the fixed monthly charge applies to an account whether or not water is consumed and will continue to be billed even if water service is inactive.

Fixed Monthly Charge by Connection Size

Multi-Family Residential Fixed Charge

The fixed monthly charge for Multi-Family Residential accounts is $9.57 per residential unit.

Water Flow Charges are based on the amount of water used each month and are calculated per hundred cubic feet (CCF). One CCF equals 748 gallons and represents one billing unit.

Single-Family Residential Water Flow Charges

Single-Family Residential customers are billed using a two-tier rate structure. Water usage is measured monthly, and the applicable rate increases as usage exceeds the Tier One allowance.

• Tier One includes the first 13 billing units (CCF) per month
• Tier Two applies to all usage above 13 billing units

Multi-Family Residential Water Flow Charges

Multi-Family Residential customers are also billed using a two-tier rate structure. For properties served by a master meter, tier allowances are calculated per residential unit.

• Tier One includes 8.33 billing units (CCF) per residential unit
• Tier Two applies to all usage above the Tier One allowance

For example, a multi-family property with 10 residential units would receive a Tier One allowance of 83.3 CCF per month (8.33 CCF × 10 units). All usage above this amount would be billed at the Tier Two rate.

Non-Residential Water Flow Charges

Non-Residential customers are billed using a single, uniform water flow rate based on total monthly water usage measured in CCF.

Irrigation Water Flow Charges

Irrigation customers who use potable water for irrigation purposes and are served by a separate irrigation meter are billed under a single, uniform rate structure. All irrigation water usage is charged at the applicable irrigation rate per CCF.

Applicable Water Flow Rates

All water that passes through a meter is billed according to the customer class and rates shown below.

Flow Charge per CCF

In addition to MSWD water rates, your bill may include pass‑through fees and taxes that are required by outside agencies. These charges are collected by MSWD on behalf of those agencies and are not retained by the District.

Desert Water Agency (DWA) Assessment

The Desert Water Agency (DWA) assessment is a charge applied to water pumped by Mission Springs Water District to serve customers within its service area. DWA is one of 29 State Water Contractors in California and works with MSWD under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to replenish the local aquifer and ensure the long‑term sustainability of the region’s water supply.

This assessment has been in place since 2004 and is charged to MSWD customers based on the volume of water pumped.

• Current assessment: $235 per acre‑foot
• Water loss adjustment (currently 4.54%): $10.66
• Total assessment: $245.66 per acre‑foot

One acre‑foot equals 325,851 gallons. When converted to billing units, this results in an approximate charge of $0.60 per CCF (748 gallons) on your water bill.

City Utility Users Tax (UUT)

If your property is located within city limits, a Utility Users Tax (UUT) is applied to your water and sewer bills. The UUT was approved by voters through a public initiative in 2009.

• Tax rate: 7% of applicable charges

The tax is calculated by multiplying your total water charges (excluding the DWA assessment) by 7%.

Example:
If your water bill is $30.00, the Utility Users Tax would be: $30.00 × 0.07 = $2.10

The sewer rates shown below are calculated to recover the cost of providing sewer service, including system operations, maintenance, and the ongoing upkeep of sewer system capacity reserved to serve each property.

Residential sewer charges are not included on the MSWD water bill. Sewer fees for residential properties are billed annually on the property tax bill.

Sewer Rates by Customer Class

Single-Family Residential Sewer Rates
Single-Family Residential customers are charged a fixed monthly sewer rate based on the cost of providing service and maintaining system capacity allocated to each property.

Multi-Family Residential Sewer Rates
Multi-Family Residential customers are charged a fixed monthly sewer rate per residential unit, reflecting the cost of sewer service and the maintenance of system capacity serving each unit.

Non-Residential Sewer Rates
Non-Residential sewer rates vary based on the type of wastewater discharge generated by the property. Waste classification is determined by customer class, and charges are calculated based on monthly water usage, measured per hundred cubic feet (CCF).
One CCF equals 748 gallons and represents one billing unit.

All sewer service is billed at the following rates:

For individual Non-Residential sewer rate information, please call 760‑329‑6448, ext. 127.

The following fees and charges apply to customer‑requested or customer‑driven services. These fees are assessed only when the specific service is provided.

Water Service / Temporary Service Deposit

Monthly Backflow Prevention Assembly Service Charge

Disconnection and Restoration of Water Service

During Regular Business Hours

After Hours

Other Service Charges

Lien Release Fees

Please refer to Section 5.02.100 (Complaints and Disputed Bills) of our governing ordinances and resolutions for more information.