EBMUD FY2027 Commercial Wastewater Rates: BCC, Permit, and Lot-Charge Checks
EBMUD’s FY2027 commercial wastewater schedule separates BCC and permit accounts, flow and strength, fixed fees, lot charges, and local collection costs.
Direct answer
Effective July 1, 2026, EBMUD commercial wastewater bills require the correct Commercial or Permit Account path. The declared all-other BCC example totals $237.42 at 50 flow units and $193.22 at 40, a $44.20 treatment-line difference. Service and pollution-prevention fees remain; permit pounds, minimums, wet-weather parcel charges, water, and local collection fees are excluded.
$10.94
Service charge
Monthly per account
$5.48
Commercial fee
Monthly; residential BCCs differ
$4.42
All other BCC
Per flow unit / CCF
$173.48+
Wet weather
Annual lot-size charge
Charge and account-path map
Find the EBMUD account path before applying a wastewater rate
EBMUD assigns the account and BCC. The rows below are decision checks, not interchangeable classes or permission to self-select a lower rate.
| Line or class | Current rate and decision boundary |
|---|---|
| Monthly service | $10.94 per account; fixed in the declared all-other commercial model. |
| Commercial pollution prevention | $5.48 monthly for nonresidential customers; residential BCCs 8800, 6513, and 6514 follow the separate residential fee rule. |
| All other / apartment 5+ | $4.42 per flow unit. Apartment BCC 6513 has a $67.84 minimum treatment charge and is not the declared model. |
| Food and lodging | Food Service Establishments $9.08; hotels with food $6.53; bakeries $15.02 per flow unit. |
| Laundry | Commercial $5.87; coin-operated $4.41; industrial $16.68 per flow unit. |
| Other named classes | Car wash $4.18; hospital $4.01; schools $2.95 per flow unit. |
| Permit Account | $1.97 per flow unit plus $0.21/lb COD and $0.85/lb TSS; do not add this formula to the commercial BCC model. |
| Local collection system | EBMUD treats regional wastewater; community-owned collection systems remain a separate account and bill check. |
| Wet-weather parcel charge | $173.48, $270.94, or $619.20 per year by lot-size band; not usage-reducible. |
Service area and timing
The July schedule covers EBMUD wastewater treatment across the East Bay
EBMUD’s current page says the schedule is effective July 1, 2026 and covers Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Kensington, Oakland, Piedmont, and parts of Richmond.
Those are treatment-service boundaries, not proof that every wastewater line is billed by EBMUD. Local collection-system charges and property-based charges still need separate checks.
Business classification
EBMUD assigns typical wastewater strength by Business Classification Code
The current schedule says nonresidential users are assigned typical Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Suspended Solids strengths by Business Classification Code, or BCC. EBMUD’s current BCC page says the code corresponds to business activity and wastewater strength.
A restaurant, laundry, hospital, school, car wash, apartment building, or all-other account should use its actual assigned code. The named rates are not substitutes for one another, and the all-other example below cannot be transferred to another class.
Monthly treatment lines
Fixed account fees and the BCC treatment line follow different drivers
For the declared all-other commercial account, the schedule lists a $10.94 monthly service charge, a $5.48 commercial pollution-prevention fee, and a $4.42 treatment rate per flow unit. One flow unit is one CCF, or 748 gallons.
The separate residential pollution fee applies to residential BCCs including apartment code 6513, and the table lists class-specific minimum treatment charges. Do not transfer the all-other fixed-line treatment to an apartment or other coded account.
Permit account boundary
Commercial and Permit Account calculations stay on separate paths
EBMUD’s current BCC page says treatment charges for many nonresidential customers are determined from the assigned BCC, while treatment charges for permitted accounts are calculated through the permitting process. The current schedule lists permit treatment at $1.97 per flow unit, $0.21 per pound of COD, and $0.85 per pound of TSS.
Users whose strength exceeds the assigned BCC strength are required to obtain a discharge permit. This page does not add the permit formula to the BCC example, estimate pollutant pounds, or claim that one account path can replace the other without EBMUD treatment.
Estimated volume permit
The more-than-20-percent non-return rule is an application threshold, not this model
EBMUD says an industrial or commercial customer may wish to apply for an estimated-wastewater-volume permit when more than 20 percent of incoming water is not discharged to the sewer. The permit estimates wastewater volume that would otherwise be based on incoming water volume.
That application threshold is unrelated to the model’s separate comparison of 50 and 40 flow units. Do not treat it as automatic approval, a self-directed bill adjustment, or a guarantee that an account will save money.
Collection-agency boundary
Local collection systems remain separate from EBMUD treatment
EBMUD’s current sewer page says it treats wastewater for nine communities while the local collection systems are owned by the communities. It lists Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, and the Stege Sanitary District serving El Cerrito, Kensington, and the Richmond Annex.
The model excludes every local collection charge. Confirm the city or sanitary district and reconcile the EBMUD treatment lines separately before presenting a complete wastewater total.
Property-based charge
The annual wet-weather charge follows lot size, not metered volume
EBMUD lists annual Wet Weather Facilities Charges of $173.48 for lots up to 5,000 square feet, $270.94 for 5,001–10,000 square feet, and $619.20 for lots above 10,000 square feet. Taxable parcels generally see the charge on the property tax bill; other eligible parcels may be billed directly.
The charge is tied to parcel capacity to contribute wet-weather inflow and infiltration. It remains outside the usage model and should not be presented as reducible through lower metered water use.
Smart Valve analysis — all-other commercial example
One declared Commercial Account at 50 and 40 flow units
Compare 50 with 40 flow units (50 and 40 CCF) of wastewater discharge volume using the all-other BCC rate. This is not a Permit Account or full local wastewater bill.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all columns.
| Included treatment line | 50 flow units | 40 flow units | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly service | $10.94 | $10.94 | $0.00 |
| Commercial pollution fee | $5.48 | $5.48 | $0.00 |
| All-other BCC treatment | $221.00 | $176.80 | $44.20 |
| Included monthly total | $237.42 | $193.22 | $44.20 |
Only the all-other BCC volume row changes. Permit-account flow and pollutant pounds, class minimums, annual wet-weather charges, water service, and local collection-agency fees are excluded.
20% usage check
$44.20
Qualified treatment-line difference at 20% lower modeled volume
Moving the declared all-other Commercial Account from 50 to 40 flow units changes its included BCC treatment line by $44.20. The $10.94 service and $5.48 commercial pollution-prevention fees remain.
Boundary: This illustration is not an EBMUD bill quote, permit determination, or savings promise. Its 20% comparison is unrelated to the separate more-than-20-percent non-return permit threshold and excludes every line named above.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm that EBMUD provides wastewater treatment for the service address and identify the local collection agency.
- 2Record whether the account is a Commercial Account or Permit Account.
- 3Verify the assigned BCC and do not self-select another business class.
- 4For a Permit Account, collect actual flow units, COD, TSS, permit terms, and sampling records.
- 5Keep the more-than-20-percent non-return application rule separate from a 20% usage scenario.
- 6Identify the monthly service and applicable pollution-prevention fee.
- 7Check class-specific minimums and any multi-use code on the actual account.
- 8Find the lot-size wet-weather charge and keep it outside metered-usage savings.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
Smart Valve may help an operator evaluate controllable metered volume after EBMUD confirms the account path, BCC, wastewater-volume treatment, local collection arrangement, pressure conditions, and operating uses. The example isolates only the all-other BCC volume line.
Smart Valve does not change service or pollution-prevention fees, BCC assignment, permits, COD/TSS strength, class minimums, lot-size wet-weather charges, water rates, or local agency fees. Lower water use does not guarantee a corresponding wastewater result or device fit.
Related commercial water decisions
Track California commercial utility decisions
Follow adopted rates, Prop. 218 actions, drought rules, and wastewater classifications statewide.
Compare Millbrae’s separate strength-class schedule
Millbrae uses its own rates and classes; no EBMUD formula transfers to that utility.
Compare San Clemente’s strength and return-to-sewer checks
San Clemente uses different commodity rates and factors; treat it only as a structural comparison.
Build a source-backed wastewater reduction plan
Separate fixed, volume, strength, parcel, and local collection lines before testing operations.
Prepare the EBMUD wastewater review
Collect account path, BCC, volume, permit, minimum, parcel, and collection records first.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, calculations, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
How do EBMUD Commercial and Permit Account wastewater calculations differ?
EBMUD’s current BCC page says many nonresidential treatment charges are determined from the assigned BCC, while permitted-account treatment charges are calculated through the permitting process. This page does not add or interchange the two formulas; confirm the actual EBMUD account treatment.
Does the $44.20 EBMUD model apply to restaurants, laundries, apartments, or permit accounts?
No. It uses the all-other commercial BCC rate for 50 and 40 flow units. Other BCCs, apartment minimums, and permit-account flow, COD, and TSS inputs require their own account records.
Is EBMUD’s more-than-20-percent non-return rule the same as this model’s 20% comparison?
No. EBMUD’s rule describes when a customer may wish to apply for an estimated-wastewater-volume permit. The model separately compares 50 with 40 flow units and does not establish permit eligibility or approval.
Does the EBMUD model include wet-weather or local sewer collection charges?
No. Annual lot-size wet-weather charges, city or sanitary-district collection fees, water service, permit pounds, and class minimums are excluded, so the modeled total is not a complete wastewater bill.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Effective: July 1, 2026Status checked: July 19, 2026Retrieved: July 19, 2026
Controlling official source for service area, five charge components, monthly lines, BCC treatment rates and strengths, permit basis, class minimums, multi-use rates, and wet-weather charges.
Source URL: https://www.ebmud.com/wastewater/rates-and-charges
Status checked: July 19, 2026Retrieved: July 19, 2026
Official hub for current wastewater treatment, wet-weather, industrial-permit, and other adopted schedules. The current HTML rate page supplies the controlling values used here.
Source URL: https://www.ebmud.com/water/water-rates/rates-and-fees-schedules
Status checked: July 19, 2026Retrieved: July 19, 2026
Official source for discharge-permit types and the ability to apply for estimated wastewater volume when more than 20 percent of incoming water is not discharged to sewer.
Source URL: https://www.ebmud.com/wastewater/commercial-waste/permits-and-wastewater-discharges
Status checked: July 19, 2026Retrieved: July 19, 2026
Current official explanation of assigned BCCs, typical wastewater strength, BCC-based treatment charges, and permitted-account treatment through the permitting process.
Source URL: https://www.ebmud.com/customers/billing-questions/budget-and-rates/business-classification-code-bcc
Status checked: July 19, 2026Retrieved: July 19, 2026
Current official source distinguishing EBMUD regional treatment from the community-owned local collection systems serving the wastewater area.
Source URL: https://www.ebmud.com/wastewater/collection-treatment/sewers
Classify the EBMUD account before estimating
Start with account type, assigned BCC, wastewater discharge volume, COD/TSS where applicable, class minimum, parcel tier, and local collection agency. Do not assume permit approval or a full-bill reduction.