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SDCWA System Capacity and Water Treatment Capacity Charges

Levied by San Diego County Water Authority on new development in San Marcos. Authorized under the Gov. Code Sec. 66013 where the charge is for water or sewer capacity; otherwise the district's own enabling act (Health & Safety Code / Pub. Resources Code, by district type). Collected other: prior to final building inspection and/or utility release.

What one house pays

$6,542

For a typical home: a 2,000 sq ft detached house on a 0.13 acre lot, on a new subdivision lot.

Share of San Marcos's total
10%
Total one-time fees here
$62,082
Adjustment
Adjusts yearly · a fixed percentage
what the document says

administratively adjusted annually (+2.0-2.2% for CY2026)

Next expected change
1 Jul 2027 rate on file is stale
!

A scheduled adjustment has passed since this rate took effect

This fee escalates annually. The rate on file is effective 1 Jan 2025, and at least one adjustment has fallen due since. The current amount is probably different, and for an indexed fee almost certainly higher. The next change after that is expected 1 Jul 2027.

The figure is published as held rather than projected forward, because a number computed from an index is not a number quoted from an adopted schedule. It is flagged so you can check the agency's current schedule before relying on it.

The record

Why it exists

“System Capacity Charges Cover Conveyance, Storage — The System Capacity Charge is the cost for the conveyance and storage facilities necessary to operate the delivery system.”

SDCWA, "Capacity Charges", page modified 2026-06-29, opening heading and first sentence · source document ↗
What it pays for

“The System Capacity Charge is the cost for the conveyance and storage facilities necessary to operate the delivery system. The Water Treatment Capacity Charge is the cost for the connection to the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment plant.”

SDCWA, "Capacity Charges", page modified 2026-06-29, intro paragraph · source document ↗
Where it applies

“providing water, wastewater, and reclamation services to San Marcos; the community of Lake San Marcos; parts of Carlsbad, Escondido and Vista and other unincorporated areas in north San Diego County.”

Vallecitos Water District, "About Us", undated · source document ↗
When it was adopted

2025-06-26

“PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED, this 26th day of June, 2025”

Ordinance No. 2025-02, San Diego County Water Authority, adoption clause, p. 8 · source document ↗
Who adopted it

Ordinance No. 90-2

“90-2 | Permit the Water Authority to Fix and Impose Capacity Charges upon the Ultimate Users of Water Delivered, and to Require its Member Agencies to Collect the Charges on Behalf of the Water Authority”

San Diego County Water Authority, "Capacity Charges", Historical Capacity Charge Ordinances table; page last modified 2026-06-29; read from the archived copy on disk at sources/1b/1bb2add770629b65c14f667cc02de1b9982af9e6b38dda433a406571410a208a.html. No adoption date is printed beside the ordinance number, so `enacted` is left NOT FOUND rather than inferred from "90-". · source document ↗
When it is paid

other: prior to final building inspection and/or utility release

“Single Family Residential (SFR - single lot): Water and Wastewater (Sewer) Capacity Fees are due prior to final building inspection and/or utility release.”

Vallecitos Water District, "Payments of Fees and Deposits", section "Timing of Fee Payments", undated · source document ↗
Who collects it

Vallecitos Water District

“Water meter sizes and Capital Facility fees including the San Diego County Water Authority fees are calculated based on acreage and estimated usage.”

Vallecitos Water District, "Engineering Frequently Asked Questions", undated · source document ↗
Who is exempt

“The Water Treatment Capacity Charge excludes customers from the cities of Escondido, Poway, and Del Mar, which cannot be served by the Twin Oaks plant.”

SDCWA, "Capacity Charges", page modified 2026-06-29, intro paragraph, fourth sentence · source document ↗
Credits and offsets

“Credit for Existing Meter If the Applicant wants to increase the size of a water meter serving the property, and if the member agency determines a larger size meter is appropriate, credit of capacity charge at the current rate for the existing meter will be applied, whether any capacity charge for the existing meter was in effect when it was obtained. However, no credit or refund shall be made if the credit for the existing meter exceeds the total capacity charge for the new meter(s).”

San Diego County Water Authority, "Capacity Charge Form", Rev 10/3/2016, p. 2 "Instructions for Completing SDCWA Capacity Charge Form", Part B · source document ↗

Every published rate

Every rate below applies to single-family detached.

ComponentBasisEffectiveAmount
under 1 inch per meter 1 Jan 2025 $6,364
under 1 inch per meter 1 Jan 2025 $178.00

About these figures

Quoted, not summarized. Every amount and fact on this page is copied from the official document it links to. If we couldn’t find something in a document, we leave it blank instead of guessing.

Before any discounts. Some fees offer credits, waivers or phase-ins. They’re listed above but not subtracted, because whether you qualify depends on your project.

Check the date. Fees change. This page shows what was in force on the date at the top, with a link to the document that set it, so you can confirm the current amount yourself. How all of this is put together.

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