User fees are based on the City of Auburn Wastewater System Financial Plan dated April 2007. All accounts shall be assessed a monthly charge at a flat rate based on an equivalent single-family residence (ESU).
The following tables show the sewer fees for the City of Auburn.
Monthly Sewer Service Charge
- July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009: $54.25 per Sewer Unit
- July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010: $56.25 per Sewer Unit
- July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011: $56.25 per Sewer Unit
- July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012: $58.25 per Sewer Unit
- For each subsequent year: $60.50 per Sewer Unit
Sewer Connection Fees
The Sewer Connection fee is charged on a per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) basis.
Effective July 1, 2011 $7,252.28 per Sewer Unit
Sewer Connection Fees are collected with the issuance of a building permit or at a request to connect to the sewer system.
For more information on fees, view our rate charts. To find out how to request sewer service or pay your fees, visit the customer service counter.
Live Sewer Smart and prevent costly and messy sewer back-upsDo you know that dumping your cooking, fats, oils and grease (FOG) down the sink eventually leads to a thick build up in your home's sewer system, which can clog your sewer pipes?
Learn how to "live sewer smart" by collecting your FOG in a container that can be sealed. For information regarding properly disposal of FOG and easy ways to dispose of your FOG visit livesewersmart.com Also check out www.healthyauburnwaters.org for more information.
Wastewater Treatment and Collection
The City of Auburn owns its own wastewater treatment and collection system, which serves the municipal boundaries of the city. Operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment and collection system is performed under contract by Operations Management International (OMI). The Auburn Municipal Airport and Industrial Park are served by Placer County Sewer Maintenance District #1 (SMD #1).
The city treatment plant is located west of the city in the Ophir area. The plant is permitted to discharge its treated effluent into Auburn Ravine Creek to a maximum flow of 1.65 million gallons per day. The effluent is treated to what is commonly referred to as tertiary treatment, which is the highest level of treatment required by the State of California.
The city also maintains over 85 miles of wastewater collection lines and over 1,500 manholes throughout the city. This network of pipes collects sewage from residences and businesses within the city and transports it to the treatment plant. The City also maintains 11 sewer lift stations.
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Upgrade
The recent rate increase is based on the WWTP upgrade required by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) estimated to be approximately $11.7 Million for the total projct. The WWTP upgrade will allow the City to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit issued by the Regional board and fund additional studies and rehabilitation of sewers required by the State's new Sewer System Waste Discharge Requirements. The WWTP upgrade will include replacement of chlorine with ultra-violet (UV) disinfection and modify the treatment plant to reliably reduce effluent nitrogen levels.
Regional Wastewater Treatment and Conveyance System
The City of Auburn is a member of the Placer-Nevada Wastewater Authority (PNWA), a Joint Powers Agency (JPA), established in 1999 to develop a regional wastewater treatment and conveyance system. The charge of the PNWA is to regionalize the wastewater treatment of six jurisdictions in western Placer County. In so doing, five smaller and older treatment plants will be closed with their wastewater flows being sent to a larger modern facility located in Lincoln. PNWA has to date received approximately $2.0 million in funding from federal sources to conduct the necessary studies and design work for this project.
Emergency Contact Information
If you should ever observe wastewater backing up in your area or flowing out of a manhole in the street, please notify the plant operators immediately at (530) 889-0624.
1 The Sewer Connection Fee will be automatically adjusted each July 1 in proportion to the change in the Construction Cost Index for the San Francisco Bay Area most recently published in the Engineering News-Record published by McGraw Hill. No action of the City Council is required to cause this annual adjustment.