EBMUD to raise rates over next 2 years for system upgrades
OAKLAND – The East Bay Municipal Utility District will raise service rates and charges over the next two years to support a $2.8 billion improvement program, the district announced Tuesday.
Water rates for the district's 1.4 million customers will increase on July 1 of this year and on July 1, 2024. Actual changes on the customer's bill will depend on their water usage, but EBMUD said the average single-family customer water bill will rise 19 cents per day this year, then another 21 cents per day with the 2024 increase.
Wastewater customers—about 740,000 people, mostly west of the Berkeley-Oakland hills—will see rate increases in 2024 and 2025. Each increase will be 7 cents per day.
"These new rates are necessary for EBMUD to build and maintain resilient and reliable water and wastewater systems," said EBMUD general manager Clifford Chan.
Rate increases will support EBMUD's two-year budget and a $2.8 billion, five-year improvement plan. The district's plans include upgrading its water treatment plants, replacing aging pipelines and sewage collection systems, rebuilding neighborhood reservoirs, and updating wastewater facilities.
EBMUD, which recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary, stated that it needs to maintain and replace its aging infrastructure and prepare for future weather events driven by climate change.
