HomeMy WebLinkAbout033740 ORD - 09/09/2025Ordinance amending Corpus Christi Code, Sections 55-70 and 55-71 to update
water and wastewater utility tap fees as follows: to require payment in full upon
application; to provide that commercial taps will be installed by contractor; to
provide that right-of-way fees and street cut costs are not included and are
separately charged from the tap fee; to establish meter set fees when the developer
has installed the service line; to provide that water and wastewater utility tap fees
will be determined based upon time, cost of work and materials, effective January
1, 2026.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI,
TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 55-70 of the Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances is amended to
delete the struck -through text and insert the underlined text shown as follows:
Sec. 55-70. Adoption of rules, regulations and water and gas fees.
The rules and regulations concerning the control, operation and administration of utility taps or service
connections of water, gas and sewer utilities owned by the city and the regulations prescribing fees for utility taps
or service connections performed by the City are hereby adopted and approved as follows:
(1) Utility tap applications. Applications for water, gas or sewer taps may be accepted from anyone who has
properly applied for a building or plumbing permit for taps to be made inside or outside the city, and the
fees for such taps shall be paid before the permit is issued. Impact fcc have bccn adopted in occor'a ee
with thc Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 395 for certain areas of thc city. The fee schedule and
map for such fees in contained in Appendix A of thc Platting ordinances of thc City Corpus Christi.
(2) Utility tap fee payment. Utility tap fees will be paid in cash upon determination of tap fee after receipt
of application e€ for utility taps.
may make payment upon an installment basis as hereto sct forth. Water tap charge and water line
forms for execution including a promissory note and mechanic's and materialman's lien contract. If a
cash payment is made at the time of delivery of the executed note and mechanic's lien paper, the notc
shall be for thc balance of thc installation charges. If no cash payment is made, thc notc shall bc for the
total amount of thc installation charges applicable to thc property to be served. There shall be a carrying
charge on any balance of five (5) per ccnt per annum for the period covered by all of the installation
(3)
All monthly installments will be made at thc accounting office of thc city department of public utilities
and will bc due and payable monthly on thc same due date as thc regular utility bill applicable to the
property. Such installment note and contract shall contain a provision to the effect that the property
owncr agrees to make the monthly payments as therein sct forth and further that the owner's water
the city shall have the right to discontinue water service to thc property in the event any of the
installment payments become delinquent.
Utility tap fees defined excluded services. Utility tap fees are separate and distinct from any right-of-wav
fees, street cut costs, plumbing permit or inspection fees and will not be construed as being a part of or
as including such fees. Right-of-way fees, street cut costs, plumbing permit fees and inspection fees will
be assessed separately to the applicant and/or property owner in accordance with City ordinance.
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033740
SCANNED
(4) Utility tap fees extra charges. No charges will be made in addition to utility tap fees for street cuts;
hewever---for For taps outside the city, which cannot be readily made to existing lateral lines provided
for such services or for taps which involve major highway crossings or taps to major mains or trunk lines
and similar cases, charges will be made to cover the entire cost of all work and material, including meters,
if any, as estimated by the city.
(5) Fee schedule, gas:
(a) Inside city limits:
Street
Fee
Easement
Fee
Gas —Residential, 1 and 2-family dwelling
$200.00
$200.00
Commercial up to eight inch in size
1,600.00
1,600.00
Fee
Loops
20.00
Meter moves
200.00
(b) Outside city limits:
Street
Fee
Easement
Fee
Gas —Residential, 1 and 2-family dwelling
$200.00
$200.00
Commercial up to two inch in size
1,600.00
1,600.00
Fee
Loops
20.00
Meter moves
200.00
(6) Definition of street taps and easement taps.
(a) Street tap fees will apply to all taps made to laterals or mains in front or at the side of property to
be served, regardless of whether the line to be tapped is in the street, behind the curb or in some
similar position.
(b) Easement tap fees will apply to all taps made to mains or laterals in the rear of the property to be
served, where such lines are in dedicated or established easements or alleys.
(7) Service to be provided for fees. Gas, sewer and water taps will be made and services installed to a
standard location. Necessary meters and regulators will be installed. The entire installation will remain
the property of the city and will f.e be maintained by the city for as long as services available from the
city are desired on the property by the occupant. Maintenance of privately -owned service lines, or parts
of service lines, on private property will be the responsibility of the owner, occupant or consumer. Failure
to maintain such service lines will subject the service in question to discontinuance by the city.
Commercial water utility taps and commercial sewer utility taps will be performed by contractor. City
water utility department work schedules may necessitate that the requested residential water utility
taps be completed by a contractor in times when City work crews are not available to provide the tap as
requested due to emergency response elsewhere or other work needs of the City. Services for
commercial water utility taps and commercial sewer utility taps are not provided by the City.
(8) Availability of service. The existence of mains or trunk lines, or even lateral lines, near a property will not
constitute an obligation for she the city to cap tap such lines on request for taps, where such lines are
inaccessible due to necessary crossings of major highways or major streets or due to excessive cost or
excessive distance. These special cases must be arranged for with the director of public utilities, of water
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utilities well in advance of the desired service date, to permit necessary extensions, crossings or similar
construction.
(9) Fees schedule, water:
(a) Inside city limits: Fees for the following street and easement taps will be specified by the director
of water utilities based on time and costs of all work and materials.
Meter Size
Street
Fee
Easement
Fee
inch x % inch
$617.15
�5.90
inch
633.00
532.10
1 inch
807.10
705.10
Over 1 inch
Special*
Special*
Loops*, minimum
80
00
--2-7-5
-
Meter moves
—38480
*Denotes costs to be specified by the director of water utilities based on circumstances.
(b) Fees inside the city limits in subdivision in which the developer has installed the service lines
when the subdivision was constructed and requiring only a meter to be set by Corpus Christi
Water department.
Meter Size
Fee
Y. inch % inch
$485.90
x
inch
201.30
$369.34
1 inch
250.20
$439.74
1 %2 inch
$687.74
2 inches
$858.74
>2 inches
* Special
*Greater than 2 inches requires a quote determined by the director of water utilities based on time and cost of
service and materials.
(c) Outside city limits: Fees for the following street and easement taps will be specified by the
director of water utilities based on time and costs of all work and materials.
Meter Size
Street
Fee
Fee
5 inch x 3 inch
$839.30
-80
inch
--860 0
675.10
1 inch
1,125.30
-980.98
Over 1 inch Special*
Special*
Special*
111.10
411.10
Loops*, minimum
Meter moves*, minimum
97.90
97.90
*Denotes cost to be specified by the director of water utilities based on circumstances.
(d) Fees outside the city limits in subdivision in which the developer has installed the service lines
when the subdivision was constructed and requiring only a meter to be set by Corpus Christi
Water department.
Size
Fee
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Y. inch x % inch
$185.90
inch
201.30
$369.34
1 inch
250.30
$439.74
1 % inch
$687.74
2inches
$858.74
>2 inches
*Special
*Greater than 2 inches requires a quote determined by the director of water utilities based on time and cost of
service and materials.
(1966 Supp., § 38-26; Ord. No. 10083, § 1, 1-20-1971; Ord. No. 16383, § 1, 7-15-1981; Ord. No. 16447, § 1, 8-12-
1981; Ord. No. 16453, § 1, 8-12-1981; Ord. No. 22913, § 10, 4-22-1997; Ord. No. 026369, § 2, 7-26-2005; Ord. No.
027395, § 2, 8-28-2007; Ord. No. 027854, § 2, 9-16-2008; Ord. No. 028260, § 1, 7-28-2009; Ord. No. 028326, § 2, 9-
29-2009; Ord. No. 028686, § 5, 7-20-2010; Ord. No. 028792, § 2, 9-28-2010; Ord. No. 029624, § 2, 10-25-2011; Ord.
No. 029917, § 5, 7-30-2013; Ord. No. 030295, § 4, 9-23-2014)
SECTION 2. Section 55-71 of the Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances is amended to
delete the struck -through text and insert the underlined text shown as follows:
Sec. 55-71. Sewer tapping fees.
(a) The city or an authorized contractor shall install and maintain all house service lines for the city sewer mains
to the nearest property or easement lines, both inside and outside the city, in accordance with plans approved
by the City. a+44 The city shall charge a tap fee for the work performed by the city for the installation of any
house lateral in a sum sufficient to cover the average cost thereof. Such fee shall be indexed to thc August
Construction Index published in the Engineering News Record and adjusted September 1 of each year. The
fees shall be reviewed periodically by the department of public utilities to ensure they are equitable. The public
utilities department shall collect fees in accord with thc following schedule:
(b) House service line tap charge:
(1) House service connections applied for after January 1, 1985 January 1, 2026 shall be charged at a rate of
two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00} on the basis of quotes determined by the wastewater services
division except as otherwise herein provided.
(2) House sewer connections to be constructed in easements shall be charged at a rate of eight hundred
seventy three dollars ($873.00} on the basis of quotes determined by the wastewater services division
except as otherwise herein provided.
{3} l-louse service connections to be constructcd in streets shall be charged at a rate of one thousand three
hundred eighty five dollars ($1,385.00) except as otherwise herein provided.
{4}111Taps constructed for commercial buildings and taps constructcd where unusual conditions are involved
shall be charged on the basis of estimates determined by the wastewater services division. Such
end costs must be deposited with the department of public utilities paid before work is done
begun. Unusual conditions shall include but not be limited to the following: sewer tapping depths greater
than fourteen (14) feet; lateral line links lengths greater than sixty (60) feet; obstructions other than
normal walks, curbs, and paving; or services requiring an eight -inch or greater diameter pipe.
{§}j4 For sewers in streets of new subdivisions in which house services are already installed to the property
line and where final connection is to be made by a plumber, a fee of one hundred eleven dollars
($111.00). This fee is to cover the cost of recording and inspecting the sewer tap.
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{)(5) House service connections for houses currently served by septic tanks and where sewer service is
currently available shall be charged one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) on the basis of quotes
determined by the wastewater services division effective January 1, 1985 January 1, 2026. If connection
charged.
{74114 Effective July 1, 1985, service connections to houses on septic tanks -where scwcr service is currently not
{6) months of sewer service being available. If connection is not made to thc sewer system within six (6)
months from the time scwcr service is made available, thc standard tapping fees provided herein shall
be charged.
(c) The above charges, fees, and quotes shall include the cost of tapping the sewer main, the installation of wyes
and placing house service lines to the nearest street right-of-way or utility line. They shall do not include all
additional costs incident to the necessary repairs to pavement of any kind or character involved in making the
house service line connection. Where sanitary sewer house service lines have been installed ahead of paving,
the above cost for such shall include extension of the line to the nearest property line, if not already thus
extended. The department of engineering and physical development shall make thc pavement repairs as part
of the installation job. Costs as set out herein shall apply for connections to property inside the city- and for
er connections to property outside the city, the actual costs of construction shall govern, with a minimum
charge according to thc above schedule.
(d) The pro rata charges fixcd on the basis laereinabove provided shall -be collected at the time of collecting tap
fees applicable to the specific property for all extensions made, for which cost is charg able on a front foot
basis under the provisions of this section.
(Code 1958, § 38-27; Ord. No. 11611, § 1, 8-8-1973; Ord. No. 16449, § 1, 8-12-1981; Ord. No. 18352, § 2, 7-24-
1984; Ord. No. 027395, § 3, 8-28-2007; Ord. No. 027854, § 3, 9-16-2008; Ord. No. 028326, § 3, 9-29-2009; Ord. No.
028792, § 3, 9-28-2010; Ord. No. 029264, § 3, 10-25-2011)
SECTION 2. If for any reason any section, paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase, word,
or provision of this ordinance shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by final judgment of
a court of competent jurisdiction, it shall not affect any other section, paragraph,
subdivision, clause, phrase, word, or provision of this ordinance, for it is the definite intent
of this City Council that every section, paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase, word, or
provision hereof be given full force and effect for its purpose.
SECTION 3. Publication will be made in the official publication of the City of Corpus
Christi as required by the City Charter of the City of Corpus Christi. This Ordinance takes
effect on January 1, 2026. i� 1,,n,-
Introduced and voted on the aAdy of i'�IN1!1-k1 , 2025.
PASSED and APPROVED on the Cl*tday of 5Q. W , 2025.
Paulette Guajardo, May
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ATTEST:
Rebecca Huerta, City Secretary
EFFECTIVE DATE
033740