1. OCSD Sewer Service Fee Rebate Program

2. OCSD Sewer User Fee
Fee is placed on the secured property tax bill with our customer service line
This customer service line rings at 4 desks, 1 Supervisor and 3 staff members. It is a roll over line, so unless all 4 people are on the phone, our customers do not get a busy signal.
The Orange County Tax-Collector and the Orange County Auditor-Controller’s office both direct our customers to this customer service line if their offices receive phone calls regarding our fees.

3. Non-Residential Sewer User Fee
Use Code
Percentage of SFR
Equivalent Rate per Thousand Sqaure Feet of Improvements
Gross Square Footage
OCSD Sewer User Fee
Nursing Home (060)
102% $322 SFR
$328
53,775
$17,662
Office Buildling (065)
41% $322 SFR
$132
12,096
$1,597
Warehouse (111)
17% $316 SFR
$54
55,856
$3,001
Restaurant (077)
600% $316 SFR
$1,896
3,204
$6,075
We have approximately 50,000 non-residential customers. The non-residential sewer user fee is based upon the use code and gross square footage of the improvements located on the parcel. Each use code is charged a rate per thousand square feet of improvements. The rate is a percentage of the single family residential rate. For example…

4. Non-Residential Rebate
OCSD Sewer User Fee
Use Code
Fee Based Upon Actual Water Consumption
Rebate Amount
$ 17,662
Nursing Home (060)
$ 16,187
$ 1,475
$ 1,597
Office Buildling (065)
$ 1,085 $
$ 3,001
Warehouse (111)
$ 1,722
$ 1,279
$ 6,075
Restaurant (077)
$ 2,233
$ 3,842

5. OCSD External Website
The OCSD external website provides our customers with information regarding our fees as well as the same customer service line phone number that is on the property tax bill.
When non-residential customers call our customer service line, staff informs them of the rebate program and explains the process to them.

6. Sewer Fee Claim Forms
Our Claim forms as well as links to our ordinances are on our external website.

7. Proposition 218 Notifications
We include information regarding our rebate program on our Prop 218 notifications that are mailed out to all of our customers. These are scheduled to be mailed out around January of 2018.

8. Historical Rebate Claim Submittals
Fiscal
Year
Claims
Received
Adjusted
Denied
Amount of
Rebates
2008/09
1,166
1,054 74
90%
$ 6,519,510
2009/10
1,433
1,365 66
95%
$ 8,715,321
2010/11
1,409
1,154
82%
$10,233,350
2011/12
2,044
1,534 61
75%
$14,595,951
2012/13
2,325
1,010 77
43%
$ 7,073,122
2013/14
2,319
2,394
142
103%
$17,133,690
2014/15
3,037
3,794
297
125%
$26,566,135
2015/16
3,488
2,682
306
77%
$15,165,471
67% increase in claim submittals from 2008/09
2014/15 – we had additional temporary staff assisting with claims.
Currently we deny approximately 10% of the claims received.
We have approximately 8 to 10 of third party agents who submit claims. Approximately 80% of our claims come from these agents while approximately 20% come directly from our customers. Anytime that staff has contact with a customer, we educate them on the process and that they do not need a third party agent to file the claim.
Of the 80% of claims that come from third party agents, 90% come from one of 4 major companies (REG, MATAX, CRTG and CMS).

9. Questions?

10. Fee Based Upon Actual Water Consumption
Rebate Calculation
OCSD Sewer User Fee
Use Code
Fee Based Upon Actual Water Consumption
Rebate Amount
$ 17,661.86
Nursing Home (060)
$ 16,186.66
$ ,475.20
BOD FEE = BOD (216 mgl)*8.34*Annual Flow ( ) * $622.73= $4,781.27
1,000
SS FEE = SS (238 mgl) *8.34 * Annual Flow ( ) * $613.38= $5,189.15
Flow Fee = Annual Flow ( ) * $1, = $6,216.24
8.34 is the conversion factor from milligram per liter to pounds.
Annual Flow is in million gallons.
The sum of these three fees is the total Sewer Service Fee.
$4, $5, $6, = $16,186.66
We have three constituents that we evaluate for wastewater charges: Flow, biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. We have a rate for BOD and TSS per thousand pounds and a rate for Flow per million gallons.
OCSD offers a refund for all of our customers. The rebate program is for non-residential customers only. If customer believes an error has been made in billing by OCSD using an incorrect use code or incorrect gross square footage, the customer may apply for a refund. If a non-residential customer believes that they discharge less than the average of their particular use code, then the customer may apply for a rebate by completing the claim form and submitting their actual water bills.
Refunds are eligible for current year and 3 years back while rebates are eligible for the current year and one year back.
The minimum fee that any user can pay for our services is the sfr rate (currently $327). This eliminates residential users from the rebate program.
When a non-residential customer submits a rebate claim, we use their actual water consumption to calculate the fee. If the fee based upon actual water consumption is less than the fee based upon use code and square footage, then a rebate is approved.