City council to hold water rate study session April 28
PUBLIC UTILITY RATE INCREASES
The Seal Beach City Council will hold its second water rate study session on Monday, April 28, at 5 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located at 211 Eight St., Seal Beach CA 90740.
This is an opportunity for residents to learn more about the city’s water and sewer services and how rates are determined. No official decisions or votes will be taken.
The study session comes ahead of an expected increase to the city’s water and sewer rates.
“The City of Seal Beach water and sewer utility enterprise funds have been negatively impacted by years of higher than average inflation, increase in wholesale water costs, and aging infrastructure,” according to a press release. “Utility systems must keep up with rising costs and be able to implement critical capital projects that are mandated or necessary.”
The Seal Beach City Council could decide to move forward with rate increases as early as its May 12 meeting, during which it could choose to initiate the state-mandated 45-day noticing period for rate increases. The City Council considered proposed rate adjustments in early 2024 but ultimately voted to pause and review planned capital projects and allow more time to gather public input. Most of the funds required to operate and invest in the city’s water and sewer systems come directly from the rates customers pay for water and sewer service.
Revenues from current rates are no longer adequate to support operations and fund the much-needed system improvements and maintenance planned over the next 10 years.
“Our city was incorporated in 1915,” Public Works Director Iris Lee said during a March study session. “And some of our infrastructure is of the same vintage, which is well over a century old. A lot of our infrastructure is either meeting the end of its serviceable life or it has surpassed that period of time.”
When water and sewer systems meet the end of their serviceable life, they are more likely to face system failures.
In 2024, when the groundwater- producing Bolsa Chica Well went down, the city spent approximately $1 million on imported water. The city spent another $500,000 on emergency repairs related to other aging water and sewer infrastructure.
For more information, visit https:// utilityratestudy. sealbeachca.gov/.
