Funding

The Solid Waste Enterprise Fund is the funding mechanism for the operation of Kern County’s solid waste management system. The fund has three main sources of revenue: Gate Fees, Bin Fees and Land Use Fees.

Gate Fee

All nonresidential waste brought to a Kern County solid waste facility is subject to a gate fee. Tires and construction debris are classified as nonresidential waste regardless of where the waste is generated. Disposal fees are site specific due to the availability of programs at a given site. For information on disposal fees, choose the Disposal Site you would like to use. In this area of the website, you'll find specific information on County Landfills, Transfer Stations and Bin Sites. We provide information regarding acceptance of waste material and directions to each facility.

Contact our office at (661) 862-8900 or e-mail us for questions regarding gate fees or your gate fee account.

Land Use Fee

All residential parcels within Kern County are charged an annual land use fee. This fee appears on your property tax bill as KCSWMP Land Use.

Vacant property is not charged a land use fee.

If you have any questions regarding land use fees contact our office at (661) 862-8900. For more information about land use codes, please visit the Kern County Assessor’s website.

Kern Sanitation Authority

The Kern Sanitation Authority (KSA) operates the wastewater treatment plant and sewer system servicing certain County areas of metropolitan Bakersfield. The Ford City/Taft Heights Sanitation District (FCTH) is a special district providing sewer service and the operational costs for 48% of wastewater treatment plant operations for the FCTH area of Kern County. The main sources of revenue for KSA and FCTH are sewer service fees collected on the tax roles. Fees are calculated based on Equivalent Single-Family Dwellings (ESFD’s), meaning that a single-family residence is calculated at one times the rate, and larger structures and different types of business are calculated with a higher multiplier. Vacant property is charged a fee unless it is disconnected from the sewer.

If you have any questions regarding your sewer service fees contact our office at (661) 862-5100.