City of San Luis Obispo, CA
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Rates for Water and Sewer
The San Luis Obispo City Council held a public hearing to consider proposed adjustments to water and sewer rates on June 6, 2023. The Council voted unanimously to approve the proposed rates. The first rate change went into effect July 1, 2023. The second rate change went into effect July 1, 2024.
If you are a residential customer, you can see how your bill will be effected under these approved rates by clicking "Calculate My Bill" on the left. For non-residential customers, please call 805.781.7133.
View our current Proposition 218 Notice mailed in April 2023: English Version / Versión en Español
For information on financial assistance, please visit out "Customer Assistance Programs" page.
Current Water and Sewer Rates
Effective July 1, 2024
The City’s monthly charge per billing unit:
(1 unit = 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons)
| Single Family Residential Rate Description | Cost |
| Water Base Fee* | $30.25 per month |
| Water Usage Tier 1 (1-5 Units) | $8.54 per unit |
| Water Usage Tier 2 (6-12 Units) | $9.84 per unit |
| Water Usage Tier 3 (13+ Units) | $16.97 per unit |
| Sewer Treatment Base Fee | $24.52 per month |
| Sewer Treatment** | $9.82 per unit |
| Multi-Family, Non-Residential, Irrigation Water Rate Description | Cost |
| Water Base Fee by Water Meter Size | Monthly Base Fee |
| 3/4 inch or less | $30.25 |
| 1-inch meter | $50.50 |
| 1.5-inch meter | $100.80 |
| 2-inch meter | $161.30 |
| 3-inch meter | $302.60 |
| 4-inch meter | $504.45 |
| 6-inch meter | $1008.60 |
| 8-inch meter | $1,613.85 |
| Water Usage | Per Unit Cost |
| Multi-Family | $9.58 |
| Non-Residential | $10.14 |
| Landscape Irrigation |
$10.35 |
| Multi-Family, Non-Residential Sewer Rate Description | Cost |
| Sewer Base Fee by Water Meter Size | Monthly Base Fee |
| 3/4 inch or less | $24.52 |
| 1-inch meter | $40.95 |
| 1.5-inch meter | $81.65 |
| 2-inch meter | $130.70 |
| 3-inch meter | $245.21 |
| 4-inch meter | $408.76 |
| 6-inch meter | $817.28 |
| 8-inch meter | $1,307.70 |
| 10-inch meter | $1,880.02 |
| Multi-Family Sewer Treatment*** |
$9.82 per unit |
| Non-Residential Sewer Treatment |
$10.27 per unit |
These rates are approved by the City Council in accordance with Proposition 218 and are subject to change.
With monthly usage of at least 2 units, the cost per gallon of water—including the base fees and sewer treatment—is less than 6 cents.
* A 5% Utility Users Tax is applied to the entire Water portion of the bill, including the base fee and all surcharges.
** Sewer usage is not billed by tier. The per-unit rate applies to all water usage up to Sewer Cap.
***For multi-family accounts, the per-unit rate applies to all water usage up to the Sewer Cap. Non-residential accounts do not have a sewer cap and are billed for each unit of water usage.
Method of Billing
Water and sewer usage is billed in whole units, meaning partially used units will roll into the next month’s usage cycle. For example:
If a customer uses 3.8 units of water in March, they will be billed for 3 units, and the 0.8 will roll into April. The customer then needs only use 0.2 units in April to complete a full unit to be charged on the next bill. This can create a scenario where a customer may use less water than the prior month and actually receive a larger bill.
| Month | Units Used | Rollover | Units Billed | Cost |
| March | 3.8 | 3 | $25.62 | |
| April | 3.2 | + 0.8 | 4 | $34.16 |
Rate Review & Increases
Water and sewer services are operated as an enterprise fund which means revenues to support operations and capital improvements must be born by the rate payer. Water and sewer funds are reviewed annually by the City Council at a public hearing. Upon completion of the review, Council then determines the appropriate rate for service. Traditionally, if rate increases are needed, they are implemented at the beginning of the new fiscal year.