Buellton Water and Wastewater Rate Study

The City has completed a rate study and has released the proposed rate schedule for the next 5 fiscal years. (See Rate Notice in Supporting Documents section, on the right side of this page). This proposed rate schedule reflects a significant increase to both Water and Wastewater rates over the 5 year period. Increasing water and sewer rates is necessary for a few key reasons, especially as our infrastructure is aging, demand is rising, and the environmental regulations are tightening. Here are some of the main reasons:

Aging Infrastructure– Much of our water and sewer infrastructure was built decades ago. To keep the systems running safely and efficiently, significant investments are needed for repairs, upgrades, and replacements.

Maintenance and Upgrades – Even newer systems require ongoing maintenance and occasional upgrades to keep up with technological advancements, address capacity issues or comply with new environmental standards.

Environmental Regulations and Water Quality Standards– Stricter environmental regulations such as those regarding water quality, nutrient limits, etc. requires utilities to invest in treatment systems and technology to meet these new standards.

Per the requirements of Proposition 218, the new rate schedule may be approved by the City Council, subject to a protest vote of property owners and ratepayers. Procedure for filing a protest vote with the City is found in the Rate Notice (in Supporting Documents section on the right side of this page).