Utility Underground Assessment Districts

Property owners interested in forming an utility underground assessment district can request the City of Newport Beach to administer the formation process. There are three ways property owners can underground the existing overhead utilities:

1.  Rule 20A - Projects that fall under Rule 20A are paid for by all utility ratepayers, not just those who live in the area to be undergrounded. To qualify for full funding, projects must provide a benefit to the general public, not just the affected customers in the area by satisfying one or more of the below criteria:

• unusually heavy concentration of overhead facilities
• heavily traveled area
• qualifies as an arterial or major collector road in the general plan
• within or passing through a civic, recreational, or scenic area

2.  Rule 20B- Projects that fall under Rule 20B allow property owners to elect to form an underground utility assessment district when Rule 20A does not apply. See General District Formation Process for additional information on forming a district.

3.  Rule 20C - Projects that fall under Rule 20C enables property owners to privately fund undergrounding the overhead facilities if neither of the above apply.

Need more guidance? Check out our Step-by-Step Guide.

General inquiries pwinfo@newportbeachca.gov.  

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