On September 11, 2018, The Austin City Council voted to pass an ordinance updating impact fees that can be assessed by Austin Water. The vote was the culmination of over a year of public outreach and stakeholder input on how best to structure the fees, coordinated through the Impact Fee Advisory Committee.
Texas State law requires that impact fees be updated every five years. The revision process required the Utility to update Land Use Assumptions (LUA) and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that will serve new development over the next 10 years and determine the maximum allowable water and wastewater impact fees that can be collected.
The Texas Local Government Code (TLGC), Chapter 212, Municipal Regulation of Subdivisions and Property Development, prohibits connection of utility service to any parcel of land that is not legally platted or excepted from the platting requirements of the municipality. TLGC 212.004 provides for an exception to platting and Section 25-4-2 of the Land Development Code outlines the City’s exceptions from platting requirements. This exception is also referred to as Land Status Determination.
A plat is a survey of land which identifies the boundaries of the property and any easements, flood zones, roadway, and access rights of way. The date of the official plat is determined by the date it was recorded and filed with the applicable County Office, such as Travis County or Williamson County. If an exception is allowed, the land status determination is applied for through the City of Austin and once issued, that date is used as the determining date for the applicable fee schedule.
The City of Austin’s interactive Property Profile Web Map can be used to determine if a property is subject to Impact Fees by adding the “Impact Fee Boundary 2018” layer under the “Austin Water” group. Impact Fee zones for lots platted before January 1, 2014 can be seen by adding the “Impact Fee Zones Pre-2014” layer under the “Austin Water” group.
The current City of Austin Water and Wastewater Impact Fees per service unit are presented in the tables below. For properties platted before January 1, 2014, the fees also vary based on location. Please note other fees may apply including meter and inspection fees. For more information, please contact 512-972-0000 extension 4.
AWU Impact Fee Schedule for Lots Platted
AFTER October 1, 2018
|
Zone |
Water Fee |
Wastewater Fee |
Water and Wastewater Fee |
|
All Zones |
$4,700 |
$2,500 |
$7,200 |
AWU Impact Fee Schedule for Lots Platted
BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2014 and SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
|
Zone |
Water Fee |
Wastewater Fee |
Water and Wastewater Fee |
|
All Zones |
$5,400 |
$2,200 |
$7,600 |
AWU Impact Fee Schedule for Lots Platted
BETWEEN OCTOBER 1, 2007 and DECEMBER 31, 2013
|
Zone |
Water Fee |
Wastewater Fee |
Water and Wastewater Fee |
|
CURE |
$700 |
$400 |
$1,100 |
|
Urban Watersheds |
$800 |
$500 |
$1,300 |
|
DDZ - Inside |
$1,000 |
$600 |
$1,600 |
|
DDZ - ETJ |
$1,800 |
$1,000 |
$2,800 |
|
DWPZ - Inside |
$2,200 |
$1,200 |
$3,400 |
|
DWPZ - ETJ |
$2,500 |
$1,400 |
$3,900 |
AWU Impact Fee Schedule for Lots Platted
BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2007
|
Zone |
Water Fee |
Wastewater Fee |
Water and Wastewater Fee |
|
CURE |
$500 |
$300 |
$800 |
|
Urban Watersheds |
$600 |
$400 |
$1,000 |
|
DDZ - Inside |
$700 |
$400 |
$1,100 |
|
DDZ - ETJ |
$1,300 |
$800 |
$2,100 |
|
DWPZ - Inside |
$1,500 |
$1,200 |
$2,700 |
|
DWPZ - ETJ |
$1,700 |
$1,300 |
$3,000 |