Fire Protection Line Rates

Upon request, CWLP will provide any business customer with a water service line dedicated solely to premise fire protection. This line is not metered; the customer is charged a flat monthly rate for the service based on a readiness-to-serve charge of $3.86 per inch of diameter of the fire service line that has been installed. No customer with an unmetered fire protection service line is allowed to tap into that line for any other purpose. The existence of such a tap or other connection is a violation of the City Code.

On April 15, 2008, the Springfield City Council passed a water rate increase that is being phased in over four years. In addition to water usage rates and customer charges, this increase will affect Fire Protection Line Rates.

The first phase of the increase took effect on May 1, 2008. Each subsequent step occurs annually, on March 1, through 2011. The table below shows the monthly Fire Protection Line Rates (per inch of line diameter) that will take effect with each phase.

The majority of the increase is being used to pay for the construction of a new water pumping station to replace the existing deteriorating 1930s-era facility located in the Lakeside Power Plant building. A new pumping station is critical to CWLP's ability to continue providing drinking water to the residents of the City of Springfield and surrounding communities. You can watch a video showing the condition of the pumping station and more thoroughly detailing the need for a facility. (You must have Windows Media Player to view this video.)

Revenues from the rate increase are also being used for other infrastructure improvements including completing the Spaulding Dam gate replacement project; adding four new filters to the Water Purification Plant; increasing the size and effectiveness of one of the water plant's five clarifiers; and building an enclosure with special safety features for the water plant's chlorine storage tanks.

Your Account