Development Fees/SDCs -Medford Water

_{DEVELOPMENT FEES}

Most fees and charges associated with private development of the water system and new service connections can be found in Exhibits A, B & D of the Regulations Governing Water Service. During review of a project, Engineering staff prepare a fee letter documenting the fees and charges unique to that project. These typically involve a combination of plan review and inspection fees, estimates for charges for work and materials that Medford Water staff must provide, and System Development Charges for each new or expanded service connection to the water system. Engineering staff are available to discuss potential fees and charges for projects as early as the planning stages. Development fees and charges are reviewed and updated annually.

_{SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGES (SDCs)}

System Development Charges (SDCs) are one-time charges for system capacity for a new service connection to the water system or an increase in capacity to an existing service connection. These charges exist to finance the development of capacity-related improvements to the water system.

Typically SDCs are paid by developers as they develop land and install new water mains and service connections. In other cases, individual homeowners pay SDCs if they request installation of a new water service line and meter to their property. SDCs do not apply when opening a water account for a meter on a service line already exists because any SDCs due with the original installation would already have been paid.

SDCs are reviewed and updated annually. The following charges are in effect for all NEW development; effective September 1, 2024:

System-wide SDC

The System-wide SDC is dedicated to treatment plant and distribution water main expansion that is charged to newly developed property added to the system.

Meter Size	Weighting Factor	SDC Fees
⅝” x ¾”	1	$2,343.31
1″	1.6	$3,749.30
1½”	4.3	$10,076.23
2″ – R2	5.7	$13,356.87
3″ – T2	18.6	$43,585.57

Meters larger than four inches (4″) may be sized for combined fire and consumption demands. Applicants whose projects will require these large meters will have to pay the SDC based on the actual meter size installed. The applicant may, one year after completion of the project, ask for a review of their consumption patterns. If the maximum consumption demand is less than that which available for the meter size installed, a reduction in fee to the approximate meter size will be allowed. If the consumption patterns change for these customers who have qualified for a reduction in SDC fees, Medford Water, the City of Medford, or the Water District may require the payment of additional SDC fees.