The Dry Creek and Sunset Sewer Districts are large, low population districts compared to some nearby urban community districts. Although fees may be different for a variety of reasons, in general, the cost per customer typically decreases as the number of customers increases. In highly populated urban communities, there are a large number of people to share fixed costs, resulting in lower fees per customer. Unincorporated Placer County districts are spread over a wide area and are not as densely populated as urban areas. This results in more miles of pipe to maintain per customer.
The rolling hills in these two districts require expensive pump stations to move the sewage. Fees in local districts that have similar topography such as some districts in Sacramento County, City of Lincoln, and City of Roseville are comparable to Dry Creek and Sunset Sewer rates.