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Ross Valley Sanitary District collects a Sewer Service Charge on each property that is connected to the District’s sewer system. Property owners receive the annual sewer service charge on their property tax bill, which is collected by Marin County and appears on Marin County Property Tax Statements.
Be aware that while your sewer fee appears as one charge on your tax bill, the fee actually funds two separate and independent organizations: Ross Valley Sanitary District, which provides the collection system that delivers wastewater to the treatment plant, and Central Marin Sanitation Agency, which treats wastewater before pumping it into the San Francisco Bay.
If you have any questions regarding your sewer service charge, please contact NBS at 1-800-676-7516 or email NBS by clicking the link.
Please note: not all parcels with an address in Larkspur pay the "Larkspur Rate". Parcels north of Corte Madera Creek (e.g., in Greenbrae, Drake’s Landing and Larkspur Landing) and in Riviera Circle pay the Ross Valley rate and a portion of their property tax goes to the District for its capital program funding.
In 2019, the District was at the end of a five-year period of scheduled sewer rate increases of been 6.5% to 7.5% per year since 2014. These rate increases made up for previous years when no rate increases occurred but regulatory requirements for strict quantities of sewer rehabilitation were mounting. The District has also been under regulatory order by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board over the past five years to implement timely maintenance of our sewer system and to make systematic infrastructure upgrades to achieve long-term reliability.
In order to continue to meet these goals, the RVSD Board of Directors held a Public Hearing on Proposed Rates for Sewer Service Charges in June 2019 and adopted the new Sewer Service Charges shown below. Rates do increase over the next five years, but at an average rate that is lower than the previous five years. The new rates are designed to meet the demands of regulatory requirements and community standards for well maintained and high-performing sewer system operation.
To learn more about the ordinance enacting wastewater utility service charges, read Ordinance No. 101.
To learn more about the 2019 sewer rate study, read the Sewer Rate Study Final Report (April 18, 2019).
To view the Sewer Rate Study PowerPoint, visit the April 17 Rate Study PowerPoint (April 17, 2019).
To select and view discussion from the March 20 and April 17, 2019 public workshops on the sewer rate schedule visit the Board of Directors Agenda Center page.
RVSD offers customers who meet certain eligibility requirements a 25% discount on their annual sewer service charges. Also, on November 18, 2020 the Board of Directors approved Resolution No. 20-1598 expanding the Sewer Service Charge Assistance Program to include non-profit, low-income developments with 85% or more low-income units, starting in Fiscal Year 2021-22.
Please download the application below for information regarding the program, to find out if you are eligible, and to apply. Please note:
- The Ross Valley Sanitary District Sewer Service Charge Assistance Program will be applied as a 25% discount to your regular sewer service charge, which is billed on your property tax bill.
- Please mail, fax, or email the completed application with attachments to: Ross Valley Sanitary District co/ NBS, 32605 Temecula Parkway, Suite 100 Temecula, CA 92592
- You can also submit the application via email: Email NBS
- Applications mailed or hand-delivered to Ross Valley Sanitary District will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted to NBS.
- NBS reviews all program applications, discounts, and rates. If you have any questions related to the program of your rates, please call NBS at 1-800-676-7516.
2023-24 Sewer Service Charge Assistance Program Application
2023-24 Sewer Service Charge Assistance Program Application - Low-Income Housing Developments
Residential properties are assigned an Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) based upon the actual dwelling units (living units) permitted on the property, regardless of occupancy, as determined by the Marin County Assessor Office records. The 5-year rate plan for Annual Sewer Service Charges adopted in June 2019 recognizes the difference in average water usage between single-family and multi-family residences and applies a different per EDU rate for each. Condominiums are included in the multi-family classification. The new rates, effective July 1, 2022 follow below.
Ross Valley Rate Zone - Fiscal Year 2022/23
- $1,027 per equivalent dwelling unit for properties designated as Multi Family Residential or as Condominiums, Town homes, and Co-Ops (County Use Code 14).
- $1,146 per equivalent dwelling unit for properties designated as Single Family Residential.
Larkspur Rate Zone - Fiscal Year 2022/23
- $1,449 per equivalent dwelling unit for properties designated as Multi Family Residential or as Condominiums, Town homes, and Co-Ops (County Use Code 14).
- $1,618 per equivalent dwelling unit for properties designated as Single Family Residential.
Commercial properties are charged the sewer service fee based upon actual winter water usage as reported by Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) for the billing cycle ended in either January or February of the prior year. The calculation utilizes and average gallon per day for residential usage to convert the MMWD usage into EDUs.
The 5-year rate plan for Annual Sewer Service Charges was adopted in June 2019. The new commercial rates, effective July 1, 2022, follow below.
Commercial Rates
Low-Strength
- Ross Valley (FY 2022/23) - $1,146
- Larkspur Rate (FY 2021/22) - $1,618
High-Strength
- Ross Valley (FY 2019/20) - $2,644
- Larkspur Rate (FY 2021/22) - $3,717
If you believe that you have been billed incorrectly for the Sewer Service Charge, you may request a refund within 3 years of the date of the charge in question. View the refund request form by clicking the link.
To learn more about Sewer Service Charges Frequently Asked Questions and also see a map, showing the two rate zones in the Larkspur area of the District, click the link.