SAN DIEGO — San Diego water customers will be paying more on their water bills starting today, December 1. San Diego water rates will begin their two-year, 19.8 percent climb, marking the first comprehensive rate hike in nearly eight years.
Here's what customers can expect:
- 5% hike on December 1
- 5.2 % increase July 1, 2024
- 8.75% jump in January 2025
- The increases equal a 19.8% increase
How much will the water increase cost?
Let's say your bi-monthly bill for water alone is $200.
- Starting December 1, 2023, you can expect to pay $210.
- On July 1, 2024, that $210 would increase to $220.92.
- In January 2025, you'll pay around $240.25.
WATCH RELATED: What does the San Diego water rate hike mean for you?
The city council approved the rate increase in September, however, not without strong opposition.
“It's already so expensive,” Maria Lopez, a delegate from the San Diego Workers Benefit Council, who represents thousands of low-income families told CBS 8 after the September vote.
Lopez said, for them and so many others, $12 is a significant increase.
“Right now, I live in a two-bedroom apartment with seven people. Three of us are working and we still can’t pay for utilities and food. So, $12 makes a big difference,” said Lopez.
Not only are water rates on the rise, but wastewater rates are also going up. Public Utilities recently sent customers a notice explaining wastewater will cost an additional four percent starting January 1.
The notice listed some of the reasons for these increases.
- They will help the city continue to upgrade core infrastructure by replacing aging pipelines.
- The increases will also fund the Pure Water project, which will turn wastewater into tap, providing half of the city's drinking water by 2035.
- The increases come at a time when Public Utilities has been under intense scrutiny for billing issues and poor customer service, a topic CBS 8 has detailed in a series of Working For You stories.
- The agency is in the process of implementing changes to address both issues and says the rate hikes will contribute to those fixes as well.
For information on financial and rebate programs that could help customers who qualify, click here.