Metro Southwest – Diablo Village Water Rates & Fees – Effective July 1, 2024

Diablo Village is located on the south side of Ajo Highway near Ryan Airfield.

The Board of Directors approved the current rate structure in May 2023. The objective was to cover fixed costs with fixed revenue and variable costs with consumption revenue by restructuring the rate schedule with minimal impact on the average customer. Fixed costs can be defined as expenditures that are incurred regardless of the amount of water used. Variable costs are expenditures more closely tied to the amount of water pumped and delivered.
 
With the decline in water usage appearing to continue into the future, the Board of Directors has supported the concept of having the Water Availability Rate (base rate) capture a larger portion of the District’s fixed costs. This helps to stabilize the revenue and eradicate the need to chase after a declining variable revenue source, providing increased financial and rate stability.
 
Prior to the 2015 rate adjustment, the Water Availability Rate covered 69% of the District’s fixed costs. The 2015 rate structure raised the District’s revenue stability to 83%. The 2016 rate adjustment included the first 3,000 gallons within the Water Availability Rate and brought the District up to 90% revenue stability.


Water Availability Rate

Meter SizeWater Availability Rate
5/8 inch*$35.00
¾ inch$52.50
1 inch$87.50
1½ inch$175.00
2 inch$280.00
3 inch$560.00
4 inch$875.00
6 inch$1750.00
*Meter capacities from the AWWA Manual of Water Supply Practices – M1, Seventh Edition, “Principles of Water Rates, Fees, and Charges, “American Water Works Association 2017, page 338, Table VII.2.5 Meter equivalencies based on meter capacity.

Water Consumption Charges for 5/8″ Meter*
*Click Here for Additional Meter Sizes

5/8 inch MeterRate
1st Tier (2,001 – 7,000 gallons)$3.25 per 1,000 gallons
2nd Tier (7,001 – 13,000 gallons)$5.10 per 1,000 gallons
3rd Tier (13,001 – 19,000 gallons)$6.60 per 1,000 gallons
4th Tier (19,001 gallons and above)$7.65 per 1,000 gallons

Service Charges & Fees

Customer Deposits: Customer deposits vary. Deposit amounts may be increased for each category at the discretion of staff based on the payment history of either the owner or the previous tenant.
$132 for residential homeowners
$200 for Renters
$1,500 for Multi-Family, Bulk Meters, and Commercial accounts

Initial Connection Fee – $30.00
Regular Re-connection – $40.00
After Hours Re-connection – $75.00
Returned Payment – up to $40.00
Meter Re-read – $20.00
Residential Dual Meter Fee – $11.67 monthly (1/3 of Water Availability Rate)
Meter Testing – $150 for 5/8” to 1”, $205 for 1½” to 2”, $1,200 for greater than 2”
Delinquent Accounts – 2% or $5.00, whichever is greater

Illegal or Unauthorized Use of Water – The District has a fee for illegal or unauthorized use of water. This involves a contractor taking water from a hydrant without permission. $500 for 1st offense, $1,000 for 2nd offense, and $1,500 for 3rd and successive offenses (plus the cost of water used and property damage).
$100 credit is given to a customer who reports that such an event has happened.


Development Fees

Development fees are dependent upon whether you simply need water service, are developing property or have a project that involves water improvement plans. The District has development fees associated with master water plan review, water improvement plan review, inspection (including infrastructure inspection and backflow inspection), protected facilities (including fire flow impact fees, where applicable) and for water connection on domestic or irrigation meters.

See our Development Fees page for more information.


Bulk Water Charges

The District also has a bulk water rate for contractors and others that need to use water for construction and other purposes.

Water Availability Rate (base rate) is the same as listed above.

Per 1,000 gallons used$5.10

Infrastructure Rehabilitation Fee

Meter SizeFee
5/8 inch$1.50
¾ inch$2.25
1 inch$3.75
1½ inch$7.50
2 inch$12.00
3 inch$24.00
4 inch$37.50
6 inch$75.00

Water Resources Utilization Fee for All Service Areas
$0.90 per 1,000 gallons

The Water Resources Utilization Fee (WRUF) provides funds to develop, design, and construct projects that will utilize the District’s Central Arizona Project (CAP) water and effluent. The WRUF has funded the land acquisition and design activities for the Northwest Recharge, Recovery, and Delivery System (NWRRDS), wheeling agreements to deliver CAP water to Metro Southwest, and various smaller activities to enhance the use of the District’s renewable water resource portfolio.