Thousands of San Diegans will now pay more for water. What customers can expect

SAN DIEGO — San Diego residents that receive their water from the city will soon be paying more on their bills, as the first increase of the city’s progressive hike in rates is set to go into effect on Friday.

Starting Dec. 1, customers’ water rates will go up by 5%. The adjustment is one of three in a comprehensive increase over two years that was approved by the San Diego City Council earlier this year — the first such change in pricing for city water customers in nearly eight years.

The next increase will be about 5.2%, going into effect on July 1, 2024. A final 8.7% rate hike with this round of changes will be on Jan. 1, 2025.

All three adjustments will total a change of 19.8% over the next two years for about 300,000 San Diegans. According to city officials, how much the changes could add on varies based on type of account, size of the water meter, water usage and use of the wastewater system.

Estimates from the city say that the average household will see an extra $12 per month on their water bill by 2025. Residents can use the City of San Diego’s water bill calculator to get a monthly estimate.

The San Diego City Council approved the change in a 5-3 vote in September. The adjustment was proposed by officials as a way to balance increased costs to repair aging infrastructure and purchase of water from the San Diego County Water Authority to pass on to customers.

According to the San Diego Public Utilities Department, virtually all of the drinking water funneled to customers — roughly 85 to 90% — is bought from the Water Authority. Earlier this year, San Diego officials say the water seller’s rate increased by about 9% for the city.

If customer water rates remained the same, city officials argued that there would not be enough revenue to provide the service to residents for the next two years.

“This necessary increase will allow us to continue our investments in replacing and rehabilitating our pipelines and maintain reliable water service for the residents of San Diego,” Juan Guerreiro, director of the Public Utilities Department, said after the city council’s September vote.

Many residents, however, voiced concern about how the water rate increase would impact households that are already struggling to make ends meet amid rising rents and utility costs.

“We are seven living in a two-bedroom apartment, we are three people working and we still have difficulty to pay the rent,” Maria Lopez, a San Diego resident and representative for the low-income advocacy group, San Diego Worker Benefits Council, said in September.

“We are hardworking people,” she said. “We are not lazy and we cannot pay the bills — the water, the lights, the rent everything’s going up.”

City officials say those that may need help with paying their water bills can apply for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program. More information about the program can be found here. Rebates for household use of certain water-saving devices are also available.