New quarterly rates adopted by the Board of County Commissioners took effect July 1, 2025.
Capital Connection Fees Capital connection fees are charged for new connections to public water and sewer systems. One Capital Connection fee is considered one EDU equivalent to 200 gallons per day. An EDU allocation audit of nonresidential customers may be performed annually.
Charges per EDU
New Fee
Water
$3,200
Sewer
$21,000
Other Service Fees
New service fees adopted by the Board of County Commissioners will take effect beginning July 1, 2025.
Charges per 1,000 gallons
Fee
Bulk water
$4.64
Septage receiving
$70.85
Grease trap waste
$100
Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) Audit of Nonresidential Customers
In early September 2024, nonresidential customers were notified of an upcoming Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) audit being conducted by the Calvert County Department of Public Works, Water and Sewerage Division. The non-residential audit is now complete. Affected customers have received certified letters outlining any potential changes needed for their accounts. Meetings are available by request. Contact 410-535-1600, ext. 8502 for further assistance.
What is an EDU audit? An EDU audit assesses the water and sewer usage of nonresidential properties to determine if the current allocation of EDUs accurately reflects actual usage. This process helps us maintain equitable service fees and manage our infrastructure effectively.
EDU is a standard measurement used to estimate a property’s water and sewer usage. EDUs are used to allocate capacity at sewage treatment and water production facilities. In Calvert County, a Capital Connection fee (see table above) includes one EDU equivalent to 200 gallons of water per day (approximately 18,000 gallons per calendar quarter).
What will the audit involve? The audit will analyze nonresidential customers average water and sewer consumption over the past eight quarters (from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024) or a minimum of four quarters for properties that have not been connected for the full audit period. The audit will be used to determine if their current EDU allocation reflects their actual usage.
Over Usage: If a customer's average usage exceeds the allocated number of EDUs by 120% or more, they will be required to purchase additional EDUs to cover the excess consumption. They will be billed a capital connection fee for the additional EDUs required and will see an adjustment to the quarterly base rate on their water and sewer bill.
Under Usage: If a customer's usage is 80% or less than their allocated EDUs, they will have the option to relinquish the excess connections, potentially reducing their future costs.
What are the next steps? We expect to finalize the audit by the end of September. Nonresidential customers will be mailed a report detailing the findings for their property and any necessary adjustments to their EDU allocation.
If additional EDUs are required, they can be purchased at the fiscal year (FY) 2024 rate, which is considerably lower than the new FY 2025 rates, shown in the table below.
FY 2025 Rate
FY 2026 Rate
Water
$3,000
$3,200
Sewer
$21,000
$21,000
Nonresidential customers will be able to choose one of the following options:
Pay the full amount within 6 months of receiving the audit at a 50% discount off the FY 2024 rate.
Pay the full amount in installments at the FY 2024 rate over eight quarters with no discount.
(For example: If a sewer-only customer needs to purchase one sewer EDU, if paid over eight quarterly installments, the total capital connection fee paid will be $5,400; however, if paid in full within 6 months with the 50% discount, the total capital connection fee paid will be $2,700.)
Contact us
We are happy to hear from our customers to help clarify any information or answer any questions you may have. For more information, please contact our business manager, Katrina Sweeney, at 410-535-1600, ext. 2250, or katrina.sweeney@calvertcountymd.gov.