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Water and Wastewater Utilities Extension Policy - Referral Number 031228 (B)
explanation
GRU's current extension policy is based on fundamental decisions reached in 1984 by the Gainesville City Commission that any costs associated with extending water and wastewater facilities to meet the needs of new customers should be borne by those new customers. Though GRU's extension policies and connection charges have changed over time, they are still based on the premise that "growth pays its own way". GRU's extension policy is consistent with the majority of policies of other utilities within Florida that either require developers to pay for extension costs, or recover the cost of extensions through connection charges or impact fees.
Water and wastewater extensions have two primary purposes as follows: 1) Provide service to new customers; and/or 2) Improve GRU's existing system.
Sometimes, extensions serve both purposes listed above.
Developers wishing to serve a proposed development from GRU's central water and wastewater system are required to pay for the minimum cost of extending service. Sometimes GRU will require facilities beyond the minimum facilities required to serve a new development. In such cases, GRU pays for oversizing and recovers such oversizing costs through connection charges.
GRU levies connection charges to recover the impact of new customers on GRU's capital facilities. GRU levies connection charges for the following items: 1) Water Meters; 2) Water Transmission and Distribution System; 3) Water Treatment Facility; 4) Wastewater Pump Station; 5) Wastewater Collection System; 6) Force Main Base System; and 7) Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Additionally, at the request of the local development community, GRU instituted a program in the late 1990s that rebates a portion of the cost of new lift stations and force mains installed by developers. The source of this rebate money is not GRU, but is in fact subsequent developers...
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