Palm Desert water and sewer rates
Who supplies water to Palm Desert houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.
Coachella Valley Water District
CVWD bills a monthly fixed charge by meter size plus water budget-based tiers per ccf: Tier 1 up to 8 ccf, Tier 2 up to 100% of your water budget, Tier 3 from 101% up to 175%, Tier 4 from 176% up to 300%, and Tier 5 at 300% or more of the budget.
| Use a month | Price per unit (CCF, 748 gallons) |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $14.71 a month |
| 0 to 8 units | $1.09 |
| 8 to 20 units | $1.36 |
| 20 to 35 units | $4.18 |
| 35 to 60 units | $4.90 |
| 60 to more | $7.49 |
- Source
- CVWD delivers water to customers from wells drilled into the Coachella Valley's groundwater basin; its Cove Communities system includes portions of Cathedral City.
- Chromium-6
- Chromium-6 was detected in the Cove Communities system at levels that exceed California's Cr-6 MCL (10 µg/L); the system is not considered in violation until after October 1, 2026, and CVWD submitted a compliance plan to the State Water Resources Control Board's Division of Drinking Water (DDW) on October 13, 2025.
- Lead
- CVWD has determined it has no lead or galvanized pipes requiring replacement service lines in its distribution system, including privately-owned or customer-owned service lines.
Sewer
CVWD charges residential sewer service per Equivalent Sewer Unit (ESU): a $1.91 monthly account charge plus $31.96 a month per ESU, and the typical home is 1 ESU. Most residential customers are billed for sewer on their property tax bills.
Ways to pay less
- Bigger household? Indoor water budgets can be increased. CVWD's default indoor water budget for homeowners is 8 ccf, based on four people; indoor budgets can be increased for homes with more than four people.
Pay or manage it
Sources
- CVWD domestic water rates (effective July 1, 2025)
- CVWD domestic water rate changes staff report, June 2024 (typical customer)
- CVWD sewer service rates (effective July 1, 2025)
- CVWD board agenda, April 28, 2026 (Cathedral City septic to sewer MOU)
Checked October 22, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.
Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.