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Sewer - treatmentSet by special district fee

Padre Dam MWD sewer capacity fee

Levied by Padre Dam Municipal Water District on new development in San Diego County (unincorporated). Collected other: before the District will process the application for new sewer capacity, which accompanies the building-permit application to the County of San Diego, the City of Santee or other land-use agency; service is granted only on payment of all applicable fees.

What one house pays

$7,427

This fee is not in San Diego County (unincorporated)'s published figure. This site publishes a home outside any plan area, and this charge applies only in Padre Dam Municipal Water District. The amount shown is what it costs a house that is there.

Total one-time fees here
$68,467
Adjustment
Adjusts quarterly · ENR construction cost index
what the document says

quarterly, Engineering News-Record Los Angeles Construction Cost Index, applied the first day of the following quarter (July 1 / October 1 / January 1 / April 1), only when CCI exceeds 2%, and Board action required at 5% or more — but the clause states its own window as "the fiscal years 2018 thru 2022"; alternatively the Board may adjust by special study

Next expected change
1 Jan 2027

The record

Why it exists

“Each customer who connects to the District's water or sewer system is charged a capacity fee, which is calculated on the basis of the average cost of providing a single family dwelling with water or sewer collection service. These rates of service are referred to as an "equivalent dwelling unit" or "EDU." ... The payment of capacity fees contributes to the District a proportionate amount of the construction cost for necessary facilities to serve the property.”

Padre Dam MWD Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 3.1.3 Capacity Fees, Section 3 p.3 · source document ↗
What it pays for

“Capacity Fees" - Amounts charged for public facilities in existence at the time a charge is imposed or charges for new public facilities to be acquired or constructed in the future that are of proportional benefit to the person or property being charged. ... Such fees are described as charges for water storage, distribution, transmission, and pumping capacity, and charges for sewer collector, plant, trunk, and metro capacity.”

Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 1.6 Definitions of General Terms, Section 1 p.9 · source document ↗
Where it applies

“Water service is provided to the City of Santee, portions of El Cajon, and the eastern unincorporated areas of Lakeside, Flinn Springs, Harbison Canyon, Blossom Valley, Alpine, Dehesa, and Crest. Sewer service is provided to the City of Santee, portions of El Cajon, and unincorporated areas of the County of San Diego.”

Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 1.1 Introduction, Section 1 p.2 · source document ↗
When it is paid

“The acceptance of an application for new water or sewer capacity to serve a property located within the District shall be processed only after the payment of all capacity and installation fees and the following as appropriate: 1) Application for a building permit through the County of San Diego, City of Santee, or other public agency with land use jurisdiction.”

Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 4.4.1 Application for Capacity, Section 4 p.8 · source document ↗
Who collects it

Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the agency that levies it

“Service shall be granted only upon payment of all applicable fees.”

Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 4.11.3 Conditions for Sewer Service, subsection (a), Section 4 p.24 · source document ↗
Who is exempt

“The capacity fees applicable to privately owned property shall also apply to public agencies seeking water or sewer service from the District, subject to Government Code sections 54999.3 and 54999.35.”

Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 4.4.5 Capacity Fees for Public Agencies, Section 4 p.10 · source document ↗
Credits and offsets

“Each unit (EDU) of capacity shall be assigned to the property for which it was purchased. After 2004, if the water or sewer service assigned the purchased capacity is not activated and used within five years after purchase, the capacity shall be removed, and the property shall be credited with a dollar value equal to the previously paid capacity. See Section 4.5 Refund of Capacity for the process to obtain a refund.”

Rules and Regulations, Revised June 2026, Section 4.4.2 Credit of Capacity Fees, Section 4 p.9 · source document ↗

Every published rate

Land useApplies toBasisEffectiveAmount
—
Single-family detached per EDU 1 Jan 2026 $7,427
the line this rate was read from

“SEWER CAPACITY FEE SECHEDULE [column headings: EDUs | % of Base EDU | Est Swr Usage (gpd) | Padre Dam Fee | Metro Fee | Total Fee] — Single Family Dwelling | up to 0.50 acres | 1 | 100% | 165 | $4,109 | $3,318 | $7,427”

Padre Dam MWD, "Capacity and Installation Fees", January 1, 2026, Sewer Capacity Fee Schedule, first residential row · source document ↗
none
Single-family attached none per unit — $6,075
the line this rate was read from

“SEWER CAPACITY FEE SECHEDULE — Condo, Townhouse | per unit | 1 | 81.8% | 135 | $3,361 | $2,714 | $6,075”

the levying document · source document ↗
Multi-family none per unit — $4,951
the line this rate was read from

“SEWER CAPACITY FEE SECHEDULE — Apartments, MHP | per unit | 1 | 66.7% | 110 | $2,739 | $2,212 | $4,951”

the levying document · source document ↗

About these figures

Quoted, not summarized. Every amount and fact on this page is copied from the official document it links to. If we couldn’t find something in a document, we leave it blank instead of guessing.

Before any discounts. Some fees offer credits, waivers or phase-ins. They’re listed above but not subtracted, because whether you qualify depends on your project.

Check the date. Fees change. This page shows what was in force on the date at the top, with a link to the document that set it, so you can confirm the current amount yourself. How all of this is put together.

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