Sharing the Costs of a Growing City
Residents and businesses alike have discovered that Tampa is a great place to live, work and play. This has resulted in increased construction and redevelopment activity, particularly in Downtown and South Tampa as well as in the Northeast/New Tampa area.
Meeting this demand for additional water services requires the Water Department to improve the existing water infrastructure in these areas so that we can provide adequate water pressure and capacity. These improvements include adding new transmission water mains as well as improvements to pumping stations, and storage infrastructure capacity.
Why does the Water Department charge an additional fee for new construction or redevelopment in certain areas?
The need for making new improvements for water infrastructure to meet the demands of the new development and redevelopment is very expensive. Designating these areas as Contribution in Aid of Construction (CIAC) areas and charging associated fees helps ensure that the burden of expansion of water services are born by the development community and does not unfairly burden our existing customers.
How are CIAC fees calculated?
The CIAC fee is based on the equivalent residential unit (ERU) of 300 gallons per day, which is the potential average daily quantity of water used by a single-family residence. ERUs are calculated based on the type of property or development use based on potential average daily water use. The ERU calculation worksheet is available for developers of multi-family or non-residential properties (Utility Service Application ERU Calculation Spreadsheet) as part of their Utility Service Application.
Which areas are subject to CIAC fees?
Downtown and South Tampa as well as in the Northeast/New Tampa have been designated as Contribution in Aid of Construction (CIAC) areas.
