The District developed the water rate structure to encourage efficient use of water and discourage waste by providing users a water budget allocation suited to their specific needs. The tiers in the water budget rates are defined individually for each customer as shown.
Palmdale Water District water rates are effective January 2021. These funds will be used to replace aging water pipelines and meters. Additionally, the funds will help improve local water supply.
2021 Water Quality Fee ($/ccf*): $ 0.09
| User Classifications | Water Budget Allocation |
| Single Family Residential (“SFR”) | Essential Use – Indoor allocation Efficient Use – Outdoor allocation |
| Multi-Family Residential (“MFR”) | Essential Use – Indoor allocation Efficient Use – Outdoor allocation |
| Commercial-Industrial (“CI”) | Essential Use – 3-yr average minimum monthly Efficient Use – 3-yr moving average, 3-month average |
| Irrigation Only (“IRR”) | Essential Outdoor Allocation .42 Landscape Factor Efficient Outdoor Allocation .70 Landscape Factor |
Service Charge
| Meter Size | Monthly Service Charge 2021 |
| 5/8″ – 1″ | $ 41.60 |
| 1-1/2″ | $ 101.49 |
| 2″ | $ 153.81 |
| 3″ | $ 275.89 |
| 4″ | $ 450.38 |
| 6″ | $ 886.21 |
| 8″ | $1,409.10 |
| 10″ | $ 2,019.99 |
| Fixed Fire Line | $ 144.79 |
Commodity Rates ($/ccf*)
| Tiers | CY 2021 |
| Essential Use Tier 1 | $ 0.93 |
| Efficient Use Tier 2 | $ 1.63 |
| Tier 3 | $ 2.15 |
| Tier 4 | $ 3.51 |
| Tier 5 | $ 5.01 |
Elevation Booster Surcharge ($/ccf*)
| Area | CY 2021 |
| B | – |
| A 1 | $ 0.08 |
| A 2 | $ 0.61 |
| A 3 | $ 1.23 |
| Drought Surcharge | $ 0.38 |
*ccf = hundred cubic feet = 748 gallons. Water use is metered in units of ccf.
Water Budgets
According to the American Water Works Association, “water budgets are volumetric allotments of water to customers based on customer-specific characteristics and conservative resource standards.” After completing a thorough study, the District implemented the following approach to determine individual water budgets for each customer in the defined customer classes.
| Tier | % of water budget allocation |
| Tier 1 | 0 – 100% Essential Allocation |
| Tier 2 | 100% Efficient Allocation |
| Tier 3 | 101 – 130% Efficient Allocation |
| Tier 4 | 131 – 160% Efficient Allocation |
| Tier 5 | 161% and Above Efficient Allocation |
For residential customers, the indoor allocation is based on an average of 4 occupants per home and 2 per unit for multifamily, providing an allotment of 55 gallons per capita per day (GPCD). Adjustments for additional occupants can be requested by submitting an Adjustment Application (or Variance) to the District (SFR only). These applications may be obtained from the District office or its website and will require supporting documentation and approval.
The outdoor allocation is based on the irrigable area (“IA”) as determined by Eagle Aerial Solutions’ evaluation of the parcel and the amount of water required to maintain a healthy landscape.
The amount of water needed for irrigation is based on:
- Weather: determined by evapotranspiration (ET0) data gathered from CIMIS weather station #197. CIMIS Station Information
- Landscape factor: the State of California Code of Regulations Title 23, Section 491 provides a landscape factor (“LF”) adjustment of 70% to the amount of water needed for irrigation to encourage conservation
- Conservation factor: approved by District Board to account for water supply shortages (currently set at 100%)
To calculate the customer-specific monthly water budget allocation, the following equations can be used:
- Indoor allocation = GPCD * Household Size * Days per billing cycle / (748 gallons/ccf)
- Outdoor allocation = (ET0/(12in/ft))* IA * LF * conservation factor / (100 ft3 / 1 ccf)
Elevation Zones
In November of 2000, the District established a surcharge to pass on the increased costs of delivering water to customers in higher elevation zones. This surcharge continues under the current rate structure.
The District is divided into four (4) elevation service zones, download Elevation Service Zone map. The northernmost area is defined as the “Base Area,” while moving south the Zone structure includes “Area 1,” “Area 2,” and “Area 3.” If you are in Areas A1, A2, or A3, you will be charged an elevation booster surcharge based on the water units you use ($/ccf) as shown in the preceding table.
These charges are based on the actual pumping costs and are re-evaluated every five years.
Variances for SFR Only
The standard allocation for a household is 4 people. If your household number exceeds 4 people, you may be eligible for an allocation adjustment.
Bill Format
At first, understanding your monthly water bill can seem challenging for both new and existing Palmdale Water District customers. View a breakdown and explanation of a typical statement to better understand what each field on your bill means. Please note, the bill format has changed with SB998. Updates will be available soon.