San Clemente Commercial Water and Sewer Rates: 2026 Strength Classification Checklist
San Clemente 2026 water and sewer rates separate fixed meter charges, MWDOC pass-throughs, potable water use, recycled irrigation, drought surcharges, and commercial sewer strength categories.
Quick Answer
San Clemente’s 2026 water rate sheet lists potable water at $5.31 per CCF and fixed monthly water charges by meter size. Its sewer sheet lists commercial sewer commodity rates from $1.50 per unit for low strength to $8.38 for high strength, with commercial sewer generally based on 80% to 85% of current-month water consumption.
$5.31
Potable Water
Per CCF, Mar. 2026
$147.08
2-inch Water Base
Monthly fixed charge
$1.50
Low Sewer
Commercial low strength
$8.38
High Sewer
Commercial high strength
What changed in San Clemente
Source-reported facts: San Clemente says current water rates became effective March 1, 2026 and current sewer rates became effective January 1, 2026. The city bills all customers monthly, with water and sewer billed separately.
The water rate sheet lists a fixed water service charge by meter size and a variable potable water consumption fee of $5.31 per CCF. That variable rate includes a $4.03 MWDOC water supply pass-through and a $1.28 city distribution charge.
Who may be affected
Commercial properties with larger meters, potable irrigation, non-potable irrigation, food-service tenants, industrial uses, and mixed-use spaces should review both water and sewer classification.
The fixed monthly water base fee is $33.10 up to a 1-inch meter, $94.47 for 1.5-inch, $147.08 for 2-inch, $313.67 for 3-inch, $559.17 for 4-inch, and $1,409.66 for 6-inch service.
Why sewer strength classification matters
San Clemente lists commercial sewer commodity rates at $1.50 for low strength, $3.19 for medium strength, $4.99 for medium-high strength, $8.38 for high strength, and $2.99 for mixed use.
The source page explains that retail or administrative commercial use generally results in low-use sewerage strength, food-service or industrial commercial use generally results in high-use sewerage strength, and mixed-use properties with food-service and retail/administrative uses are assigned medium-high strength.
What a 20 percent usage reduction could mean
Directional estimate: assume a commercial San Clemente account uses 100 CCF per month and is billed for potable water plus medium-high sewer strength. Potable water is $5.31 per CCF; medium-high commercial sewer is $4.99 per unit based on 85% of current-month water consumption.
A 20 percent reduction equals 20 CCF of water and 17 sewer-billed units under that 85% factor. That is about $106.20 in water exposure plus $84.83 in sewer exposure, or $191.03 before fixed water/sewer charges, pass-through changes, drought surcharges, tenant classification, site conditions, and installation feasibility.
What to check first on your bill
Confirm potable or non-potable service, meter size, monthly CCF, MWDOC pass-through components, sewer meter size, sewer strength classification, and whether sewer is based on 80% or 85% of current-month water consumption.
If the account has food service, industrial use, or mixed-use tenants, confirm the business-license-based sewerage strength classification before treating the bill as a simple water-volume problem.
Where Smart Valve fits
Smart Valve may be relevant when San Clemente commercial water volume is material and the account is technically qualified. It cannot reduce fixed water base fees, fixed sewer charges, MWDOC fixed pass-throughs, drought surcharges not tied to actual usage, or sewer strength classification.
The bill assessment should model potable water and sewer strength separately, especially for food-service and industrial users.
What to Do Next
Confirm sewer strength classification and return-to-sewer factor.
Separate MWDOC pass-through, city distribution, water base fee, and sewer fixed charge.
Model food-service and industrial tenants differently from low-strength office or retail use.
FAQ
What is San Clemente’s 2026 potable water consumption rate?
The water rate sheet lists potable water use at $5.31 per CCF effective March 1, 2026.
What are San Clemente commercial sewer strength rates?
The 2026 sewer sheet lists commercial low strength at $1.50, medium at $3.19, medium-high at $4.99, high strength at $8.38, and mixed use at $2.99 per unit.
Does San Clemente sewer billing use current-month water consumption?
For commercial sewer, the rate sheet lists low strength based on 80% of current-month water consumption and medium, medium-high, high, and mixed use based on 85%.
Sources
Related Commercial Water Resources
Model This Market Against Your Actual Bill
Use your local rate, current monthly bill, and billed usage to estimate how much controllable volume reduction could offset this market pressure.
