The Sewer Service Charge (SSC) is based on metered water use and generates funds for constructing and maintaining wastewater facilities such as sewers and sewage treatment plants, and for treating the sewage that is discharged into the sewer system. The SSC applies to all residential and commercial customers, unless an exemption is granted by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation (BOS).
Multiple Dwelling premises: When one meter serves five (5) or more dwelling units. These properties are billed in the same way as commercial properties.
Winter Water Use
Estimates of sewage volumes for residential premises are based on the method called "winter water use" (WWU).
Annually, your average daily sewage volume is calculated for the upcoming year, from July 1 through June 30, based on previous winter's lowest average daily sewage volume. The sewage volume is determined by evaluating the water usage for the premises during the rainy season review period.
The rainy season review period changes each year but generally begins in October or November and ends in April or May. After the average daily usage has been calculated, the SSC billed is more or less constant throughout the year, changing only slightly due to the number of days in each billing period. The SSC is not tied to the water consumption during each billing period.
The Dry Winter Compensation Factor (DWCF) is a number equaling 1.0 or less (usually about 0.9) selected after a study of the rainfall, pattern of rainfall and total water consumption that occurred during the previous rainy season. This study is also used to determine the rainy season review period.
Requesting an Adjustment
Customers can visit the BOS website and submit a request for a Residential Sewer Service Charge Adjustment.
NOTE: It takes up to three (3) regular billing periods for a SSC adjustment to be completed after the BOS approval.