Council will consider water rate hikes at Aug. 11 hearing

SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL

The Seal Beach City Council will continue a public hearing on water and sewer rate hikes on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located at 211 Eight St., Seal Beach, CA 90740.

Ratepayers will have until the end of the hearing to submit protest letters against the rate hikes.

If approved by the council, the proposal would increase both water and sewer rates annually over the next five years.

Based on the Leisure World’s average monthly water usage in 2024, residents would pay approximately $16.04 per month in the city’s next fiscal year, 2025. By fiscal year 2030, residents would pay an estimated $32.30 per month—more than double the current rate. Exact bill amounts would fluctuate based on the community’s water use.

Several factors contributed to the city’s current financial position. First, past city councils failed to increase rates to sufficiently cover ongoing and emergency maintenance costs. Then, as infrastructure aged, unexpected breakdowns had to be addressed with costly emergency repairs. In addition, the pandemic and resulting inflation increased the price of infrastructure projects. In 2023 and 2024, increased rains drove down the city’s revenues and left them with less cash flow. And wholesale water companies like the Orange County Water District have passed on increased rates due to state mandates to remove PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals,” from its water.

For more information about the proposal, visit https:// utilityratestudy.sealbeachca.gov/.