Board Approves $1.575M Billing Deal, Warns Credit Card Costs Nearing 1% of Rates

The Contra Costa Water District board signed off on a new online billing contract but spent most of its July 1 meeting wrestling with a bigger question: how long can the district keep absorbing credit card processing fees that have ballooned nearly sixfold since 2019? Separately, General Manager Rachel Murphy detailed a 72-hour emergency response to a major water main break in Concord that left about 1,000 customers without service over a June weekend.

• Credit card processing costs surge from $120K to $700K in seven years; board approves $1.575M Paymentus deal but signals a potential policy shift by November

• 16-inch water main ruptures in Concord, triggering 72-hour emergency response and raising infrastructure resiliency questions about aging asbestos cement pipes

• BKS Law Firm wins $3.039M general counsel extension after its own attorney recuses from the vote

• Investment policy updated to incorporate SB 858 commercial paper changes and expanded pool authority

• Carpenters union seeks seat at the table on future canal replacement project labor agreements

• Recently appointed Director Daniel T. Fitzpatrick was absent.

The basics: When the board voted in 2019 to absorb credit card transaction fees as a customer convenience, the annual cost was roughly $120,000. Seven years later, the program has exploded — nearly 40% of all bill payments now occur online, and the price tag has hit $700,000.