SECTION G.               RATES AND SERVICE FEES

NOTE:  Unless specifically defined in this Tariff, all fees, rates, and charges as stated shall be non-refundable.

1.        Service Investigation Fee.  The Corporation shall conduct a service investigation for each service application submitted at the Corporation office.  An initial determination shall be made by the Corporation, without charge, as to whether the service request is Standard or Non-Standard.  An investigation shall then be conducted and the results reported under the following terms:

a.        All Standard Service requests shall be investigated without charge and all applicable costs for providing service shall be quoted in writing to the Applicant within ten (10) working days of application.

b.       All Non-Standard Service requests shall be subject to a fee, appropriate to each project, of sufficient amount to cover all administrative, legal, and engineering fees associated with investigation of the Corporation’s ability to deliver service to the Applicant to;

                                                 1)      Provide cost estimates of the project;

                                                 2)      To present detailed plans and specifications as per final plat;

                                                 3)      To advertise and accept bids for the project;

                                                 4)      To present a Non-Standard Service Contract to the Applicant; and

                                                 5)      To provide other services as required by the Corporation for such investigation.  A Non-Standard Service Contract shall be presented to the Applicant within a suitable amount of time as determined by the complexity of the project.  (See Section F.)

2.        Membership Fee.  At the time the application for service is approved, a refundable Membership Fee must be paid before service shall be provided or reserved for the Applicant by the Corporation.

The Membership Fee for water service is $    50.       for each service unit.

3.        Easement Fee.  When the Corporation determines that private right-of-way easements and/or facilities sites are necessary to provide service to the Applicant, the Applicant shall be required to make good faith efforts to secure easements in behalf of the Corporation and/or may be required to pay all costs incurred by the Corporation in validating, clearing, and retaining such right-of-way in addition to tap fees otherwise required pursuant to the provisions of this Tariff.  The costs may include all legal fees and expenses necessary to attempt to secure such right-of-way and /or facilities sites in behalf of the Applicant.

4.        Installation Fee.  The Corporation shall charge an installation fee for service as follows:

a.        Standard Service Request -- Standard Service shall include all current labor, materials, engineering, legal, customer service inspection, and administrative costs necessary to provide individual metered water service and shall be charged on a per tap basis as computed immediately prior to such time as metered service is requested and installed.

Standard Service Installation Fee per meter installation is:  $   300.   .

b.       Non-Standard Service Request -- Non-Standard Service shall include any and all construction labor and materials, inspection, administration, legal, and engineering fees, as determined by the Corporation under the rules of Section F. of this Tariff.

c.        Standard and Non-Standard Service Installations -- Standard and Non-Standard Service Installations shall include all costs of any pipeline relocations as per Section E. of this tariff.

5.        Equity Buy-In Fee (Impact Fee).  In addition to the Membership Fee, each Applicant shall be required to achieve parity with existing Members by contributing capital in an amount projected to defray the cost of up-grading system facilities to meet growth demands created by adding customers.  This fee shall be assessed immediately prior to providing or reserving service on a per service unit basis for each tap/lot and shall be assigned and restricted to the tap/lot for which the service was originally requested.

Equity Buy-In Fee (Impact Fee) per installation is:  $   1650.   .

6.        Monthly Charges.

a.        Service Availability Charge (Monthly Minimum)

Water Service – The monthly charge for metered water service, which may or may not include allowable gallonage, is based on demand by meter size.  Each charge is assessed based on the number of 5/8” X ¾” meters (as per American Water Works Association maximum continuous flow specifications equivalent to the size indicated and is used as a base multiplier for the Service Availability Charge and allowable gallonage.  Rates and equivalents are as follows:

b.       Reserved Service Charges – The monthly charge for each active account at a specific location for which a meter has not been installed but for which the Corporation and the Applicant have entered into agreement and/or contract for reserved service.  This monthly charge shall be based on the Corporation’s fixed costs to service the Applicant’s dedicated facilities on a per Service Unit basis.  This charge reserves service to the Applicant’s real estate designated to receive service.  This fee is determined on a case by case basis but shall never exceed the Service Availability Charge on a per Service Unit basis.

c.        Gallonage Charge – In addition to the Service Availability Charge, a gallonage charge shall be added at the following rates for usage during any one (1) billing period.

The Corporation shall, as required by Section 5.235, Water Code of the State of Texas , collect from each of its retail customers a regulatory assessment equal to one-half of one percent of the charge for retail water or wastewater services.  This charge shall be collected in addition to other charges for utility service.  This fee is collected on all charges pertaining to Monthly Charges of this Tariff.  (30 TAC 291.76 d.(3) (i))

7.        Late Payment Fee.  The Corporation shall charge a fee of $   5.00    for the late payment of a water bill.

8.        Returned Check Fee.  In the event a check, draft, or any other similar instrument is given by a person, firm, corporation, or partnership to the Corporation for payment of services provided for in this Tariff, and the instrument is returned by the bank of other similar institution as insufficient or non-negotiable for any reason, the account for which the instrument was issued shall be assessed a return check charge of $   25.00   .

9.        Reconnect Fee.  The Corporation shall charge a fee of $   50.00    for reconnecting service after the Corporation has previously disconnected the service for any reason provided for in this Tariff except for activation of service under Section E. Re-Service.

10.     Service Trip Fee.  The Corporation may charge a trip fee of $   35.00    for any service call or trip to the Member’s tap as a result of a request by the Member or resident (unless the service call is in response to damage of the Corporation’s or another Member’s facilities) or for the purpose of disconnecting or collecting payment for services.

11.     Equipment Damage Fee.  If the Corporation’s facilities or equipment have been damaged by tampering, by-passing, installing unauthorized taps, reconnecting service without authority, or other service diversion, a fee shall be charged equal to the actual costs of all labor, material, and equipment necessary for repair, replacement, and other Corporation actions.  This fee shall be charged and paid before service is re-established.  If the Corporation’s equipment has not been damaged, a fee equal to the actual costs for all labor, material, equipment, and other actions necessary to correct service diversions, unauthorized taps, or re-connection of service without authority shall be charged.  All components of this fee will be itemized, and a statement shall be provided to the Member.  If the Corporation’s facilities or equipment have been damaged due to negligence or unauthorized sue of the Corporation’s equipment, right-of-way, or mete shut-off valve, or due to other acts for which the Corporation incurs losses or damages, the Member shall be liable for all labor and material charges incurred as a result of said acts of negligence.

12.     Meter Test Fee.  The Corporation shall test a Member’s meter upon written request of the Member.  Under the terms of Section E. of this Tariff, actual charges of the meter test may be imposed on the affected account.

13.     Transfer Fee.  An Applicant for service who is a Transferee shall complete all required application forms, etc., and pay a Transfer Fee of $   10.00   .

14.     Information Disclosure Fee.  All public information except that which has been individually requested as confidential shall be available to the public for a fee to be determined by the Corporation based on the level of service and costs to provide such information., but not to be inconsistent with the terms of the Texas Open Records Act: Chapter 552, Texas Government Code.

15.     Other Fees.  All services outside the normal scope of utility operations which the Corporation may be compelled to provide at the request of a customer or Member shall be charged to the recipient based on the cost of providing such service.