BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Concerns arise as city officials propose a rate hike to tackle infrastructure challenges in Bakersfield. It comes in the form of water and sewer rate increases.Bakersfield residents may see significant increases in water and sewer rates.
- The proposed rate hike aims to address infrastructure and maintenance costs.
- City officials are expected to discuss details at an upcoming meeting.
- Residents are encouraged to voice their opinions on the proposed changes.
- The increase could impact monthly utility bills for many households.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Property owners in Bakersfield could be hit with a dramatic rate increase. During the city’s Water Board meeting last week, board members voted to increase water rates over the next five years.
The City Council’s Water Board Committee voted to increase the water rate by 50.8% over the next five years.
Here’s how it breaks down:
The City water system serves around 45% of the Citys residents. If the entire City Council approves this, there could be a water rate increase of 34% for the fiscal year 2025-2026. That means higher bills as soon as July.
The next increase of 6% would be for the next two fiscal years. Then, a 2.4% increase would be applied in fiscal years 2028-2029 and 2029-2030.
As I mentioned, if approved, the new five-year rate would take effect in July, in just three and a half months.
And that’s not all. There is also a proposal to increase the sewer user rate from $239 per year to $950 per year – nearly a 300% increase.
What’s behind all this? I reached out to the city for an explanation, and here’s the reply from a city spokesman:
The city says, “This remains lower than other comparably sized cities in California. The rate pays for capital improvements and maintenance of the wastewater system – including wastewater treatment, storm drain and sewer lift station, and line replacements – and would help cover the costs of upgrading Wastewater Treatment Plant 2, which was built about 70 years ago. Bakersfield has two wastewater treatment plants in total. The cost of a full plant upgrade would be between $500 million and $600 million.”
If the sewer rate increase is approved, it will also go into effect on July 1st, 2025.
The rate increase is not yet final. The proposal goes before the Bakersfield City Council on March 26th for a "pre-step" to start the process.
The City will have public hearings for each proposed increase.
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