UTILITY RATE STUDY WATER, SEWER, AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL

The City of Dinuba requests proposals from qualified consultants to prepare a comprehensive utility rate study for water, sewer, and solid waste disposal services. Located in Tulare County in California’s San Joaquin Valley, Dinuba has approximately 26,000 residents and serves approximately 6,700 residential, commercial, industrial, and other utility accounts. The study shall establish service costs, develop five-year financial plans, and recommend equitable and implementable rates that support the long-term financial sustainability of the City’s enterprise funds. The City’s water system includes six groundwater wells, three storage tanks providing more than three million gallons of storage, and approximately 100 miles of distribution pipelines within one pressure zone. Historical water production averages approximately 4.1 million gallons per day. The wastewater collection system includes approximately 71.7 miles of gravity sewer and 11 lift or pump stations conveying wastewater to the Wastewater Reclamation Facility, which has a permitted capacity of 3.14 million gallons per day and currently treats approximately 1.9 to 2.3 million gallons per day. Solid waste collection, recycling, and organics services are provided through a franchise hauler. The consultant shall coordinate with the Public Works Department and Administrative Services Department in preparing the study and shall verify current system information, account counts, and operating data. The analysis shall consider adopted budgets, existing utility master plans, capital improvement programs, asset information, and applicable agreements to determine revenue requirements and funding alternatives. The study shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including Proposition 218. Proposed rate changes are subject to City Council consideration and applicable adoption requirements.