(a) The following definitions shall apply in this section:
ABNORMAL SEWAGE. Any sewage having a suspended solids or B.O.D. content which is, in the judgment of the director of the water department, significantly in excess of, or below, that found in normal sewage, but is otherwise acceptable into the city sanitary sewerage system.
B.O.D. (DENOTING BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND). The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure as specified in standard methods in five days at 20°C expressed as parts per million by weight (milligrams per liter).
COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER CLASS. Shall consist of those customers which have three or more living units served by a single water meter, or which have one or more businesses served by a single water meter.
DIRECTOR. The director of the water department of the City of Fort Worth or his or her authorized representative.
INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMER CLASS. Shall consist of those customers whose sewage contains waste water from a product manufactured, processed or fabricated by the customer.
LIVING UNIT. A residential unit providing complete, independent, living facilities for one family, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, eating and sanitation.
MONITORED GROUP CLASS. Shall consist of those customers determined by the director of the water department to be producers of waste water that is, in his or her judgment, abnormal sewage.
NONRESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER CLASS. Shall consist of the industrial customer class and the commercial customer class.
NORMAL SEWAGE. Sewage which when analyzed shows by weight a daily average of not more than 240 mg/l of suspended solids and not more than 210 mg/l of B.O.D., and which is otherwise acceptable into the city sanitary sewerage system.
RECLAIMED WATER. Highly treated effluent from Fort Worth’s wastewater treatment plant, supplied through the reclaimed water transmission and distribution system, which meets or exceeds the requirements for Type I reclaimed water uses, as set forth by Tex. Administrative Code Title 30, § 210.33.
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER CLASS. Shall consist of those customers which have no more than two living units served by a single water meter.
STANDARD METHODS. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater prepared and published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Waterworks Association and the Water Pollution Control Federation.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS. Solids that either float on the surface of, or in suspension in, water, sewage or other liquid and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
WHOLESALE CUSTOMER. A municipality, town, village or other governmental entity or private firm contracting with a governmental entity for the provision of water, reclaimed water and/or wastewater service.
(b) (1) The following schedule of rates per month, or fraction thereof, shall be the charges to all residential and nonresidential customers for furnishing water to such customers located within the city. The residential monthly volume charge for water service shall be the charges to the residential class, as defined in this chapter, for furnishing water to residential water customers located within the city. The nonresidential monthly volume charge for water service shall be the charges to the nonresidential customer class, as defined in this chapter, for furnishing water to nonresidential water customers located within the city.
Retail Water Rates | |
Monthly Service Charge for Water | |
Meter Size (Inches) | Monthly Charge |
Retail Water Rates | |
Monthly Service Charge for Water | |
Meter Size (Inches) | Monthly Charge |
3/4 × 5/8 | $13.75 |
3/4 × 3/4 | $14.00 |
1 | $29.05 |
1-1/2 | $54.50 |
2 | $85.10 |
3 | $225.10 |
4 | $385.55 |
6 | $818.45 |
8 | $1,429.65 |
10 | $2,142.80 |
(2) The monthly volume charge for water service is as follows:
Residential Customer Class | |
Cubic Feet | Rate |
Residential Customer Class | |
Cubic Feet | Rate |
First 600 or less cubic feet of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $2.28 |
For the next 1,200 cubic feet of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $3.19 |
For the next 1,200 cubic feet of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $4.29 |
For all in excess of 3,000 cubic feet of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $5.37 |
Commercial Customer Class | |
All usage of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $2.74 |
Industrial Customer Class | |
All usage of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $2.74 |
Irrigation Meters | |
First 10,000 or less cubic feet of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $3.01 |
For all in excess of 10,000 cubic feet of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet | $4.03 |
Gas Well Drillers | |
All usage of water used per month, per 100 cubic feet per month | $5.85 |
(3) The service charges set out in the foregoing schedules are based upon the amount of water used as measured by meters.
(c) The following schedule of rates per month, or fraction thereof, shall be the charges to all residential and nonresidential customers for furnishing sewerage service to such customers located within the city. The residential monthly volume charge for sewerage service shall be the charges to the residential class, as defined in this chapter, for furnishing sewerage service to residential sewer customers located within the city. The nonresidential monthly volume charge for sewerage service shall be the charges to the nonresidential customer class, as defined in this chapter, for furnishing sewerage service to nonresidential sewer customers located within the city.
(1) Monthly service charge for sewerage service only.
Meter Size (inches) | Monthly Charge |
Meter Size (inches) | Monthly Charge |
3/4 × 5/8 | $7.50 |
3/4 × 3/4 | $7.80 |
1 | $13.80 |
1-1/2 | $37.50 |
2 | $60.00 |
3 | $112.50 |
4 | $187.50 |
6 | $375.00 |
8 | $600.00 |
10 | $862.50 |
12 | $1,612.50 |
(2) a. A monthly volume charge shall also be charged to residential customers in the amount of $4.26 per 100 cubic feet of water used, and to nonresidential/non-monitored customers in the amount of $4.19 per 100 cubic feet of water used, or wastewater produced, as more specifically set forth hereinafter.
b. The monthly volume charges for residential class customers will be based on the individual customer’s average monthly water use during the preceding winter quarter months of December, January and February. The volumes used to compute these charges are based on the amount of water used by the residential class customer as measured by a meter. Where no preceding winter quarter average is available from records, the director shall estimate a volume to be used for this monthly volume charge.
c. The monthly charges to the nonresidential/non-monitored customers will be based on total water use as measured by appropriate meters, with the provision that if a customer can prove, to the satisfaction of the director, that a significant portion of the metered water usage does not enter the sanitary sewers, the customer will be charged for only that volume entering the sewers, as determined by a method approved by the director.
(d) (1) The director shall establish a monitored group class, consisting of those customers whose wastewater strength is, in his or her judgment, abnormally high or whose wastewater contains limited substances or materials, and charges to customers in this class shall be computed in accord with the following five-part rate schedule:
Monitored Group | |
Volume charge, per 100 cubic feet | $2.65 |
BOD strength charge, per pound of BOD | $0.2697 |
Suspended solids strength charge per pound of suspended solids | $0.1978 |
Dissolved solids strength charge, per pound of dissolved solids (applicable to gas well drillers) | $0.0420 |
Monitoring and pretreatment charge = Total actual cost | |
(2) The monitoring charge shall consist of all cost for personnel, material and equipment used to collect and analyze samples from the customer’s wastewater to determine the strength of the wastewater produced and, when appropriate, to inspect pretreatment facilities, to administer pretreatment permit systems and to enforce ordinance requirements. Pretreatment requirements primarily affect industries that are subject to 40 C.F.R. part 403, General Pretreatment Regulations.
(3) This schedule shall replace all other charges previously made for industrial waste strength.
(e) All customers connected to the sanitary sewerage system who have a source of water supply that is in addition to, or in lieu of, the city water supply must have a meter approved and tested by the department on that source of water supply and the volume charge as set forth hereinbefore shall be based on the sum of the volumes delivered by all sources of supply. Such method of volume determination will not be applicable if the customer installs a meter approved by the water department on the waste water produced by the customer before it enters the city sanitary sewer.
(f) Charges paid by municipal departments for water and sewerage services shall be paid for at the rates in effect.
(g) The following schedule of rates per month, or fraction thereof, shall be the charges to all wholesale customers for furnishing water to such customers:
Rates for Wholesale Water Service | |
Volume ($/1,000 gallons)* | $0.8436 |
Maximum Day ($/MGD excess) | $128,609.00 |
Maximum Hour ($/MGD excess) | $45,949.00 |
Customer ($/Meter/Month) | $25.00 |
*plus raw water cost | |
Raw Water Service | |
All uses inside Tarrant Regional Water District per 1,000 gallons per month | $1.47672 |
All uses outside Tarrant Regional Water District per 1,000 gallons per month | $1.47672 |
(h) The following schedule of rates per month, or fraction thereof, shall be the charges to all wholesale customers for furnishing wastewater services to such customers:
Rates for Wholesale Wastewater Service
| |
Volume ($/1,000 gallons) | $1.8419 |
BOD ($/pound) | $0.5467 |
TSS ($/pound) | $0.3169 |
Customer ($/month) | $75.00 |
(i) The standby charge per month, per 1,000 gallons is $0.8936.
(j) (1) The following schedule of rates per month, or fraction thereof, shall be the charges to all wholesale customers for furnishing reclaimed water to such customers:
Rates for Wholesale Reclaimed Water Service | |
Volume ($/1,000 gallons) | |
October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2012 | $1.45 |
October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2014 | $1.50 |
(2) Starting October 1, 2014, the wholesale reclaim water service rates will increase by 5% annually until such time as the cumulative amount of the annual system deficits has been recovered.
(3) The customer shall be charged on a monthly basis the volume rate charge multiplied by a minimum 50% of the customer’s contracted average monthly amount (annual amount divided by 12 months) in order to establish a minimum cash flow to meet the operating and debt expenditures for the system.
(k) A permit/contract fee up to $5,000 will be assessed for a ground water remediation discharge permit. The term of the permit/contract shall not exceed two years. In addition to a volume charge based on current rates, a monthly service fee of $4.50 will be assessed.
(l) Rates.
Account Services | |
New Meter Set | $60 |
Standard Activation/Transfer | $20 |
Same Day Activation/Transfer | $25+ |
Same Day After Hours Activation/Transfer | $50+ |
Other Field Services | |
First meter test/investigation per 12-months | No Charge |
Additional test/investigation per 12-months* | $75 |
Investigation By Appointment | $100 |
Meter Replacement by Request | Actual Cost |
Replacement Installation by Request (< 2") | $60 |
Replacement Installation by Request (> 2") | Actual Cost |
Tampering/Theft | |
Tampering, damage, inactive/unauthorized consumption | $150 + estimated use + cost of damage |
Meter Removal | $60 |
Delinquency | |
Late Payment | 10% past due |
Disconnect/Lock/Shut off | $20 |
Broken Lock | $25 |
Standard Reactivation | $20 |
Same Day Reactivation | $25+ |
Same Day After Hours Reactivation | $50+ |
+ equals the standard charge plus the additional charge. | |
(1964 Code, § 37-25) (Ord. 5432, § 1, passed - -; Ord. 6325, § 2, passed 6-29-1970; Ord. 6888, § 1, passed 8-13-1973; Ord. 7380, § 1, passed 7-12-1976; Ord. 7586, § 1, passed 8-2-1977; Ord. 7981, § 1, passed 9-18-1979; Ord. 8158, § 1, passed 8-18-1980; Ord. 8264, § 1, passed 2-10-1981; Ord. 8387, § 1, passed 9-1-1981; Ord. 8618, § 1, passed 8-17-1982; Ord. 8619, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-17-1982; Ord. 8905, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-30-1983; Ord. 8906, § 1, passed 8-30- 1983; Ord. 9179, § 2, passed 8-28-1984; Ord. 9180, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-28-1984; Ord. 9432, §§ 1, 2, passed 7-23-1985; Ord. 9433, § 2, passed 7-23-1985; Ord. 9696, §§ 1—3, passed 8-19-1986; Ord. 10143, §§ 1—4, passed 7-26-1988; Ord. 10173, § 1, passed9-27-1988; Ord. 10373, §§ 1—6, passed 8-29-1989; Ord. 10672, §§ 1—3, passed 9-18-1990; Ord. 10196, §§ 1—3, passed 9-17-1991; Ord. 11172, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-22-1992; Ord. 11298, §§ 1—3, passed 4-20-1993; Ord. 11336, §§ 1—3, passed 6-15-1993; Ord. 11395, §§ 1—3, passed 9-14-1993; Ord. 11678, §§ 1—3, passed 9-20-1994; Ord. 11717, §§ 1—4, 8, passed 11-1-1994; Ord. 12113, §§ 1—3, passed 8-20-1995; Ord. 12114, §§ 1—3, passed 8-20-1995; Ord. 12669, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-10-1996; Ord. 12670, §§ 1—3, passed 9-10-1996; Ord. 13145, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-2-1997; Ord. 13146, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-2-1997; Ord. 13575, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-15-1998; Ord. 13576, §§ 1—3, passed 9-15-1998; Ord. 13944, §§ 1—3, passed 9-21-1999; Ord. 14347, § 1, passed 9-26-2000; Ord. 14348, §§ 1—3, passed 9-26-2000; Ord. 14349, § 1, passed 9-26-2000; Ord. 14762, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-28-2001; Ord. 14796, §§ 1—3, passed 10-2-2001; Ord. 15253, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-24-2002; Ord. 15254, §§ 1—3, passed 9-24-2002; Ord. 15693, §§ 1—3, passed 9-23-2003; Ord. 15694, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-23-2003; Ord. 16141, § 1, 2, eff. 10-1-2004; Ord. 16154, §§ 1—3, passed 10-5-2004; Ord. 16623, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-27-2005; Ord. 16624, §§ 1—3, passed 9-27-2005; Ord. 16932, § 1, passed 5-9-2006; Ord. 17208, § 1, passed 9-26-2006; Ord. 17801, §§ 1—3, passed 9-25-2007; Ord. 17798, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-25-2007; Ord. 18316-09-2008, § 1, passed 9-30-2008, eff. 1-1-2009; Ord. 18317-09-2008, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-30-2008; Ord. 18835-09-2009, §§ 2, 3, passed 9-22-2009, eff. 1-1-2010; Ord. 18836-09-2009, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-22-2009; Ord. 18990-01-2010, §§ 1—3, passed 1-12-2010, eff. 10-1-2010; Ord. 19376-09-2010, §§ 1—3, passed 9-28-2010; Ord. 19377-09-2010, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-28-2010; Ord. 19909-09-2011, §§ 1—3, passed 9-20-2011, eff. 10-1-2011; Ord. 19910-09-2011, §§ 1—3, passed 9-20-2011, eff. 1-1-2012; Ord. 20405-09-2012, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-18-2012, eff. 1-1-2013; Ord. 20407-09-2012, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-18-2012, eff. 10-1-2012; Ord. 20946-09-2013, §§ 1—3, passed 9-17-2013, eff. 1-1-2014; Ord. 20947-09-2013, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-17-2013, eff. 10-1-2013; Ord. 21448-09-2014, §§ 1—4, passed 9-9-2014, eff. 1-1-2015; Ord. 21449-09-2014, §§ 1, 2, passed 9-9-2014, eff. 10-1-2014; Ord. 21855-09-2015, §§ 1—3, passed 9-1-2015, eff. 1-1-2016; Ord. 21856-09-2015, §§ 1—3, passed 9-1-2015, eff. 10-1-2015; Ord. 22375-08-2016, §§ 1—3, passed 8-30-2016, eff. 10-1-2016; Ord. 22374-08-2016, §§ 1—3, passed 8-30-2016, eff. 1-1-2017; Ord. 22890-09-2017, §§ 1—3, passed 9-12-2017, eff. 10-1-2017; Ord. 22891-09-2017, §§ 1—3, passed 9-12-2017, eff. 1-1-2018; Ord. 23377-09-2018, §§ 1—3, passed 9-11-2018, eff. 10-1-2018; Ord. 23429-09-2018, §§ 1—2, passed 9-25-2018, eff. 10-1-2018; Ord. 23818-09-2019, §§ 1—4, passed 9-10-2019, eff. 1-1-2020; Ord. 23819- 09-2019, §§ 1—3, passed 9-10-2019, eff. 10-1-2019; Ord. 23990-12-2019, § 2, passed 12-17-2019, eff. 4- 1-2020; Ord. 24450-09-2020, §§ 1—3, passed 9-22-2020, eff. 10-1-2020; Ord. 24504-10-2020, § 1, passed 10-27-2020; Ord. 25035-09-2021, §§ 1—3, passed 9-14-2021, eff. 10-1-2021; Ord. 25692-09-2022, § 1—3, passed 9-13-2022, eff. 10-1-2022; Ord. 26450-09-2023, §§ 1—3, passed 9-19-2023, eff. 10-1-2023; Ord. 26451-09-2023, §§ 1, 3, 4, passed 9-19-2023, eff. 1-1-2024; Ord. 27105-08-2024, §§ 1—4, passed 8-27-2024, eff. 1-1-2025)