Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) operates and manages Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, and South Park County Sanitation District (Districts). 

Sonoma Water owns, operates, and manages Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup Sanitation Zone, Geyserville Sanitation Zone, Penngrove Sanitation Zone, and Sea Ranch Sanitation Zone (Zones).

The Districts and Zones offer a discount on Sewer Service Charges for low-income owner-occupied homes and for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that provide housing to low-income renters. 

REDUCED RATE: The reduced rate will be 50% of your total Annual Sewer Service Charge. 

Applications are due by July 10, 2023. 

Anyone receiving the rate reduction and found to be in violation of program rules will be removed from the program and may be liable for repayment of the discount from the time that the discount was received.

Applicants will be notified of their eligibility. Applications are accepted until funds are exhausted and a waiting list will be maintained.

If your application is accepted, you will receive the sewer service charge rate reduction credit on your 2023-2024 property tax bill. If your 2023-2024 property tax bill has been paid in full, you will be issued a refund of the difference between the sewer service charge and the credit. 

You must renew your complete eligibility application every year.

Sanitation Rate Relief Program Eligibility Requirements

Who can apply?

The Sanitation Rate Relief Program provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners who are billed sewer service charges on their property tax bill. To be eligible, homeowners must meet the following requirements:

1. Live in the home as their primary residence
2. Own their home
3. Be a current participant in the PG&E CARE Program OR have a total income of all persons living in the home of 60% or less of the area median family income, which will be determined by the current Sonoma County Housing Authority income limits.

What is household income?

Household income includes all revenues from all household members, from whatever sources derived, whether taxable or non-taxable, including, but not limited to:

• Wages, salaries, pensions
• Unemployment benefits
• Self-employment profit
• Disability payments
• Workers compensation
• Child or spousal support
• Interest or dividends from savings accounts, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts
• Rent or royalty income
• Cash income or gifts
• Scholarship, grants, or other aid used for living expenses
• Insurance or legal settlements
• Social Security, SSI, SSP
• Food stamps or TANF (AFDC)

How to apply?

To apply for the Sanitation Rate Relief Program, owner-occupied homeowners must submit:

1. Signed Application Form (Applications may be submitted electronically and can include a digital signature).
2. A copy of your Property Tax Statement.
3. Current PG&E CARE Program participants must submit a copy of their most recent PG&E bill as proof of participation in the CARE Program. If you are not currently enrolled in the PG&E CARE Program (California Alternate Rates for Energy program), visit PGE.com for more information.
4. If your household is not a participant in the PG&E CARE Program, you must submit a copy of 2022 Federal or State Income Tax Return for all household members who filed 2022 returns.

Criteria for Non-Profit Organizations

Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organizations that wish to apply for the Sanitation Rate Relief Program must:

• Rent 85% or more of each property applying to tenants that have household earnings of 60% or less of area median family income, which will be determined by the current Sonoma County Housing Authority income limits at the time the organization applies for the Sanitation Rate Relief Program

To apply for the Sanitation Rate Relief Program, Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organizations must submit:

1. 501(c)(3) certificates and program materials
2. Evidence showing that they rent 85% or more of the subject property to tenants that have household earnings of 60% or less of the area median family income.

Applying for the Sanitation Rate Relief Program

The Districts and Zones begin taking applications for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024) on May 24, 2023.

You can obtain a Sanitation Rate Relief Program application 

Downloading the application form: 

English Application

Aplicacion en espanol - Spanish Application

Calling Sonoma Water at (707) 521-1885

Emailing SanitationProgram@scwa.ca.gov 

Stopping by Sonoma Water’s offices at 404 Aviation Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Applications are due by July 10, 2023.