Is my City of San Diego water bill changing in 2027?
Yes — after a court ruled the tiered rates violated Prop 218, the City has proposed replacing its three single-family tiers ($9.75, $10.88 and $13.62 per HCF) with one rate of $11.09 starting January 1, 2027; most households would pay more, and only very high users (roughly 28+ HCF a month) would pay less. The public hearing is October 6, 2026.
- Proposed rate (single-family)
- $11.09 / HCF
- Starts
- Jan 1, 2027 (proposed)
- Hearing
- Oct 6, 2026, 2 p.m.
- 1 HCF
- 748 gallons
The short version
- The City's water rates rose 14.7% (and sewer 6%) on January 1, 2026, after a 5–4 Council vote in October 2025.
- Patz v. City of San Diego (2025) found the tiered structure didn't comply with Prop 218, so the City proposes a single "unitary" rate from January 1, 2027.
- Proposed single-family rate: $11.09 per HCF (748 gallons) for every unit, plus a $40.97 monthly service charge on a standard 5/8–3/4-inch meter.
- Our math from the City's published rates: a household using 10 HCF a month pays about $13.68 more; one using 30 HCF pays about $4 less.
- Council hearing: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 2 p.m., Council Chambers, 202 C Street.
San Diegans got a 14.7% water rate increase this January. The next change is different: it's about how the bill is calculated. For years the City charged more per unit the more water you used. A state appeals court decided that tiered setup didn't meet Proposition 218's requirement that rates reflect the cost of service, so the City is moving everyone in a customer class to one price per unit.
How your water rates have moved
City of San Diego Public Utilities; Times of San Diego (Oct 2025).
| Single-family, per HCF | Now | Proposed 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| First 10 HCF | $9.75 | $11.09 |
| 11–22 HCF | $10.88 | $11.09 |
| Over 22 HCF | $13.62 | $11.09 |
| Monthly service charge, 5/8–3/4" meter | $40.69 | $40.97 |
City of San Diego Public Utilities, water and sewer rate adjustments page, retrieved Sept 29, 2026. Other classes: multi-family $11.41, commercial $10.72, irrigation $12.08 per HCF (proposed).
Change in monthly water charge under the proposed single rate
Source: sandiego.tips arithmetic from the City's current and proposed rates; water only, excludes sewer and taxes
The pattern: small and typical users lose the discount they got on their first units, so they pay more. Only households using more than about 28 HCF a month — roughly 21,000 gallons — come out ahead, because they stop paying the $13.62 top tier. The City's own explainer frames it as "Dustin and Margaret pay the same rate per unit of water, regardless of total water consumption."
Why a rainy El Niño won't lower your bill
Local rain barely touches the City's supply costs. Most of the rate pressure comes from buying water from the San Diego County Water Authority, the regional wholesaler that supplies about 90% of the City's water. The Authority's board approved a 3% wholesale increase for 2027 in June 2026 — lower than the roughly 6% it had projected.
- 01
Find your usage
Your bill lists HCF used per period. One HCF is 748 gallons.
- 02
Estimate your change
Multiply your monthly HCF by $11.09, add the service charge, and compare with your current water charges.
- 03
Weigh in
Property owners received a Prop 218 notice in late July; the hearing is October 6 at 2 p.m. at 202 C Street.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
City of San Diego Public Utilities Department · 2026-09-29
Current and proposed rates, service charges, hearing, Patz ruling, 2026 increases
Times of San Diego · 2025-10-28
5–4 vote; 14.7% and 14.5%; ~90% of increase from SDCWA costs
Water Education Foundation (Aquafornia) · 2026-06