Ever Wonder Why You Receive Two Separate Bills for Sewer Service?
The short answer: there are two separate public agencies performing two different functions. There are no duplicate charges — each bill covers a distinct part of the system.
State law requires thorough engineering and financial analyses to calculate each charge and ensure that it is fair. This page explains how both bills work and why they are structured the way they are.
Think of it this way: MCWD is your local collection crew — they gather the sewage and move it out of your neighborhood. Monterey One Water is the regional processing hub — they treat it and dispose of it safely. Two different jobs. Two separate bills.
| THE MCWD BILL — LOCAL SEWER COLLECTION | THE M1W BILL — REGIONAL SEWER TREATMENT |
|---|---|
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What you are paying for |
What you are paying for |
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How they bill you and frequency |
How they bill you and frequency |
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How it is calculated |
How it is calculated |
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TYPICAL SINGLE-FAMILY BILL Central Marina: ~$12.50 fixed base + $2.45/HCF Ord Community: ~$23.11 fixed base + $4.52/HCF One HCF = 748 gallons |
TYPICAL SINGLE-FAMILY BILL About $51 to $54 per month (often appearing as $101.90 to $108.00 on bi-monthly statements) One EDU = one typical single-family home |
More About How MCWD's Bills Are Calculated
MCWD uses a water flow-based structure
Unlike M1W's flat fee, MCWD's rates reflect the amount of wastewater you actually send into the system. Since there is no practical way to meter every home's drainpipe, your water meter is the most practical method. Virtually all indoor water use (showers, sinks, laundry, dishes, and toilets) flows into the sewer, while outdoor water soaks into the ground and never reaches the pipes. Winter usage most accurately captures this indoor-only baseline, when there is little or no outdoor irrigation. Use less water, pay less. For lower water users, this portion of the bill will typically be less than your flat-rate M1W charge.
Ord Community: Why Rates are Higher
If you live on the former Fort Ord, your MCWD sewer collection rates are higher than those in Central Marina. The primary reasons are that the Ord service area is more spread out. As a result, each customer must support more pipeline miles, more pumps, and more storage tanks. Also, the Ord infrastructure was built by the Army to different quality standards. This makes it more costly to maintain, renew, and replace those older, non-standard facilities over time.
Both MCWD and M1W are Public, Nonprofit, Local Government Agencies
Neither agency generates profits from utility bills. All revenue goes directly toward the operational costs and infrastructure maintenance costs described above, and toward meeting California environmental and Clean Water Act standards.
Questions? Contact MCWD Customer Service
Phone: (831) 384-6131 or (831) 883-5900
Email: customerservice@mcwd.org
Address: 920 2nd Avenue, Suite B, Marina, CA 93933