Water Tap Fees

 To purchase a water tap, please complete the Water Meter Sizing Computation Sheet, then use the attached pages therein from the Illinois Plumbing Code to determine the size of meter you need.

Single Family Residential and Commercial Water Tap Fees

For taps in the Fairview Heights service area, additional information will be needed.  A copy of the Building Permit issued by Fairview Heights is required with the fixture count.

Mutiple Dwelling Unit Water Tap Fees
Please call Public Works at 624-4500, ext. 3 or email [email protected] to inquire about the tap prices for multiple dwelling unit developments as well as motels and hotels.

      (2)   Rates for larger taps. Fees for taps larger than six inches will be determined by the City Engineer. All taps shall meet the minimum size requirements per the State Plumbing Code or its successor document.

      (3)   Additional fees. In addition to the fees as set forth in divisions (A)(1) and (A)(2) above, a water expansion and extension fee is hereby established to reimburse the city for its costs in extending the water system to serve new and additional users and to increase the city’s capacity to distribute water through its water system. The city may provide, at its own initial expense, for the extension and expansion of its water system within and outside the city boundaries. In so doing, the city seeks to provide a material benefit to the property owners abutting such improvements and to encourage the development of such property. To reimburse the city for the funds so expended, the city hereby has created a water expansion and extension fee. Such fee shall be based upon the pro rata share of the cost of said construction and extension which cost was required to provide the water services being made available to the new or additional user. The water expansion and extension fee shall be based upon all costs including, but not limited to, engineering fees, supervision, legal fees, land costs and construction. For currently existing residences/businesses, a benefitted property owner may, by so indicating in writing to the City Engineer, cause the water expansion and extension fee to be billed to him or her over a three-year period at an interest rate based on the city’s ability to borrow money at that time plus 0.5% as an addition to the regular water charge bill amortized in such a way that he or she shall make 36 equal payments. In the absence of such written notification, the water expansion and extension fee is due and payable by the property owner of presently existing residence/businesses prior to the time of the connection of the individual premises to the city’s water main.

      (4)   Fee base. The expansion and extension fee will normally be based on the portion of land occupied by the new or additional user (in developable acres only) divided by the total land area that could be reasonably serviced by the expansion and extension (in developable acres only) multiplied by the total cost of the expansion and extension as described above as approved by the Council. However, the City Engineer may propose an alternate expansion and extension fee if appropriate and reasonable. Such alternate expansion and extension fee as it pertains to each new or additional user shall be approved by the Council.

   (B)   The city will install all taps up to and including two inches in size and provide all labor and materials from the water main to the meter pit. The customer will be responsible for providing all materials (including a meter compatible with the city water system) and labor for installing all taps over two inches in size and fire sprinkler taps in accordance with all three of the following stipulations.

      (1)   All taps over two inches in size shall be inspected by city personnel during all stages of the installation process and all tap fees shall be paid in full prior to the installation. A licensed plumber shall be provided by the customer to install the tap and shall be on site at all times during the tap.

      (2)   All taps two inches in size or larger shall be provided with an approved backflow prevention device meeting the requirements of § 52.064 of this chapter and shall be installed in accordance with the details set forth by the city’s Engineering Department;

      (3)   All taps over two inches in size shall be scheduled at least three working days in advance in order to allow for sufficient advance notice for inspection; and

      (4)   All taps shall be made during regular business hours.

   (C)   For multiple dwelling (apartment, dormitory, institutional housing, assisted living, nursing home) units, mobile home courts or mobile home parks, a single master meter shall be installed to serve the entire development. The tap fee shall be $1,000 for each dwelling unit. The tap fee for the entire development shall be due and payable prior to the installation of the master meter. The City Engineer shall determine where the master meter will be located. The city reserves the right to apply the single family tap procedures to multi-dwelling units where each unit is separately owned.

   (D)   For hotels and motels a single master meter shall be installed for each hotel/motel. The tap fee shall be $3,000, plus $500 per guest room.