Water and Sewer Service Availability Process, Requirements and Fees

Water and Sewer Service Availability Process:

For all connections to the City’s municipal water and / or sewer systems, a property owner or their authorized representative shall submit a Water/Sewer Availability Request form.  Applications may be submitted independently or as a required submittal item for other land use and/or building permit applications. Upon review, City staff will identify if the subject parcel is located within service area boundaries, proximity of existing infrastructure, availability and/or requirements to connect, detail site specific conditions, requirements, additional permitting requirements, and then issue a water/sewer availability letter if applicable.

There are different options within the Water/Sewer Availability Request form: Information, Non-Binding Commitment, Binding Commitment, Approval to Connect, and South Island Sewer Annual “Open Call”.

• Information – A basic determination of whether a parcel is within water and/or sewer service area boundaries and if connection is feasible. No formal documentation will be issued. 
• Non-Binding Commitment – If the parcel is located within water and/or sewer service area boundaries and connection is feasible, a non-binding commitment letter will be issued that states that the City has available water or sewer system capacity as of the date of the letter and that the subject parcel would be eligible for connection to the City’s water and sewer systems contingent upon available capacity at the time of application for binding commitment, all conditions being met within permitting processes, and all connection and participation fees being paid in full. This does not guarantee the future availability of water or sewer system capacity.
• Binding Commitment – If the parcel is located within water and/or sewer service area boundaries and connection is feasible, a binding commitment letter will be issued that states that the City has available water or sewer system capacity and that, upon payment of all applicable system participation fees set forth in Bainbridge Island Municipal Code 13.16.040 and all conditions being met within permitting processes, the City shall reserve water and/or sewer system capacity, and shall allow connection to the City’s water and/or sewer systems in perpetuity. The letter will detail site specific conditions, requirements, and additional permitting requirements. Full payment of system participation and associated fees are required within 30 days of letter issuance to establish a binding commitment. A binding commitment does not expire. 
• Approval to Connect – If a binding commitment was obtained independent of an associated building permit, an approval to connect letter will be issued that will detail site specific conditions, requirements, and additional permitting requirements.
• South Island Sewer Annual Open Call 

Water / Sewer Availability Submittal Steps:

Step 1: Complete a Water/Sewer Availability Request form.
Step 2: Prepare additional items for your application:

• Site Plan:
  1. Must include all existing and proposed utility connections including water and sewer mains, manholes, service lines, connection points, cleanouts, fixtures, meters, etc.
  2. Show surrounding rights-of-way with proposed connection points to City infrastructure, meter and fixture locations, cleanout locations, manholes, and right-of way features.  
  3. Construction details for all materials and layouts. 
  4. The site plan must be legible, easily understood, and drawn in a recognized scale. 
  5. Information and sample site plans are available in the Administrative Manual for Planning Permits. 
• Other specifications or engineering as required.

Step 3: Submit your application and required documents
Submit your completed Water/Sewer Availability Request form and all relevant documents in person or via email to: PWPermits@bainbridgewa.gov with WSA Application in the subject line.

Step 4: Receive Water/Sewer Availability Letter (Non-Binding and Binding Letters)
City staff will review completed Water/Sewer Availability applications and relevant supporting documents and provide the requested response (non-binding letter, binding letter, approval to connect) in the form of a Water/Sewer Availability letter and invoice.  If there is associated land use and/or building permitting, those cases will be reviewed in conjunction with this availability process.  

• Non-binding letters are valid at the time of issuance.
• Binding availability letters are valid for a period of 30 days from the date of issuance.  Payment in full is required within 30 days.  Once payment has been made, the letter and proof of payment serves as verification of binding commitment.  
• Approval to connect letters authorize connection to be made.  An approval to connect letter is only required if a previously issued binding commitment was not issued under an associated building permit.

Step 5: Connection
Once all conditions have been met, fees paid in full, and any additional permitting (as required) as outlined in the binding commitment has been issued, approval to connect will be granted. Connections may be made with the following procedures:

• Property Owner Responsibilities: 
  1. Provide 7-10 business day advance notice for work to be performed.  All work shall be observed and inspected by City staff as outlined in associated permit files.  
  2. Provide all required materials in accordance with City standards, regulatory codes, and project design/conditions.
  3. Provide labor for all work performed.
  4. Provide and/or perform all required testing procedures.
• City Responsibilities:
  1. Ensure that all necessary permitting and project conditions have been met.
  2. Observe all connections being made to City infrastructure.
  3. Observe and document all required testing procedures.
  4. Once complete, generate workorder to provide and install water meter.
  5. Generate utility billing account(s) and commence monthly billing.

Step 6: Begin Service
A utility billing account will be created and services will commence. Information on Utility Billing. 

Water and Sewer System Connection Requirements:

Water: Bainbridge Island Municipal Code 13.08.050 stipulates that any property located within the City’s water service area, and within 300’ of a water main, shall not be allowed to install a well.  If a property requires a water connection, the owner of the property shall apply to the City for water service and, as necessary, extend the water main, install fire hydrants and connect the property to the City’s water system.

Sewer: Bainbridge Island Municipal Code 13.12.010 stipulates that any property within the City’s sewer service area, and within 300’ of a sewer main, shall not be allowed to install a septic system.  If a property requires wastewater treatment or is certified by the local health office to be a health hazard, the owner of the property shall apply to the City for sewer service and, as necessary, extend the sewer main, and connect the property to the City’s sewer system.

City of Bainbridge Island Water and Sewer System Fees and Costs:
Connection to City water and/or sewer systems require some or all of the following one-time, upfront charges in order to be eligible for binding commitment and/or connection: 

City of Bainbridge Island Fee Schedule

• System Participation:
  1. Water: This is a one-time fee charged to new customers connecting to the water system. The cost is based on the customer type (single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, or irrigation) and the required water meter size. This fee helps fund the operation and maintenance of the current water supply and distribution system, as well as plan for future expansion and improvement of the systems.
  2. Sewer: This is a one-time fee charged to new customers connecting to the sewer system and existing customers that expand or increase their connection. The cost is based on the customer type (single-family residential, multi-family residential, or non-residential), the connection size in equivalent residential units (ERUs), and the treatment facility utilized. Residential uses are assigned one ERU per dwelling unit. Non-residential uses are assigned an ERU value based on plumbing fixture unit counts as calculated in the table within the WSA application. This fee helps fund the operation and maintenance of the current collection, conveyance, and treatment systems, as well as plan for future expansion and improvement of the systems.
• Connection: This is a one-time water system fee that covers the cost of a water meter and the staff time and resources for installation.  It is flat rate based on meter size, up to a 1” meter.  For larger meters, the fee is calculated based on actual costs of a meter and staff time and resources for installation.
• Inspection: These are one-time fees that cover staff time and resources for the inspection and testing during the installation of new and/or modification of existing utility connections.  
  1. Water: Flat rate based on meter size and/or number of residential units.
  2. Sewer: Flat rate based on ERU count and/or number of residential units.
• Administrative Processing: This is a one-time fee based on application type (single-family residential, multi-family residential, or non-residential) that covers staff time and resources for processing water/sewer availability applications, utility billing account setup, and other administrative functions.