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The city oversees the Pure Water Oceanside project, which purifies recycled water from the San Luis Rey Reclamation Facility to create a local source of clean drinking water. Courtesy photo/City of Oceanside
The city oversees the Pure Water Oceanside project, which purifies recycled water from the San Luis Rey Reclamation Facility to create a local source of clean drinking water. Courtesy photo/City of Oceanside
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Oceanside approves new, adjusted fees for water customers

OCEANSIDE — The Oceanside City Council approved a slate of new and adjusted water fees earlier this month, with the exception of a proposed shut-off fee, following recommendations from the city’s Water Utilities Department.

The department proposed five new fees during the Dec. 18 council meeting to recover costs associated with specific services, including:

  • $188 for customer-requested off-site meter exams,
  • $51 for customers who haven’t paid or are in non-compliance,
  • $271 for sand-oil separator inspections, commonly used by car washes and oil change stations,
  • $610 for water utilities building inspections related to adding or removing water or sewer lines, and
  • A tiered recycled water inspection fee to address cross-connection issues for new customers as part of the city’s recycled water program.

The adjustments mark an effort by the city to align fees more closely with the actual service cost while balancing the financial realities its residents face.

In addition, the department recommended changes to existing fees, with some seeing significant increases. For example, meter exchange fees rose from $143 to $220, automated delinquent notification fees increased from $0.50 to $1.15, and industrial waste permit fees climbed from $237 to $2,200.

Some fees, however, decreased by more than 50%, such as water meter spacer fees, which dropped from $150 to $43, and construction meter refundable deposits, which fell from $2,000 to $950.

The fee adjustments are projected to generate an additional $482,331 in annual revenue for the Water Utilities Department.

A 4-1 council majority approved most of the new fees and changes but excluded the proposed $51 shut-off fee. Councilmember Eric Joyce opposed the shut-off fee, citing concerns about its impact on struggling households, which already pay a reinstatement fee to restore water service.

“The households who had their water shut off in the first place didn’t need to have their financial hardships exacerbated by a shut-off fee,” Joyce said.

Resident Jimmy Knott also spoke against the shut-off fee, arguing for a more compassionate approach, such as restricting water flow rather than complete disconnection.

“I think this needs to be corrected and believe we should be looking at a humane process of restricting water first before taking and shutting it off, as it affects our senior population, our families and, most importantly, our children,” Knott said.

Water Utilities Director Lindsay Leahy explained that the department currently only recovers costs through the reinstatement fee and that, by law, it cannot require one group of customers to subsidize services for another.

Councilmember Rick Robinson, the sole vote against excluding the shut-off fee, expressed concern about the city staying in legal compliance and meeting cost recovery goals.

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