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San Luis Obispo wants to raise water and sewer rates

April 28, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

In an attempt to deal with rising costs and the need for capital improvements, the City of San Luis Obispo is proposing an 11% increase in water rates and a 13% increase in sewer rates over two years.

At the SLO City Council meeting on April 29, the council plans to vote on the proposed rate increases. The first increase is scheduled for July 1, 2025, and the second for July 1, 2026.

The increase is expected to raise the average sewer cost for a single-family home in San Luis Obispo from $30.25 to $33.67 per month. Average residential sewer rates are slated to increase from $24.52 to $27.81 a month.

Ratepayers will have the opportunity to mount a majority protest to upend the sewer bill increases. Under Proposition 218, property owners may submit written protests to the rate increases. If more than 50% of property owners submit valid written protests, the city may not adopt the proposed rates.

 


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It’s common knowledge that SLO, like a lot of cities and counties is underwater with regard to PERS Pension obligations. I wonder just how much of any of this additional revenue will be directed toward that shortfall?


Time for some DOGE?


2

This city continually talks about making SLO “affordable” but their actions don’t match that narrative. Even if you can afford to buy or rent here, the sales tax, water/sewer rates, rising electric costs, high gas prices, etc. make it impossible just to live day to day here for many. I know many families who are struggling to stay here and some have moved away to genuine affordable areas. No matter how much this city claims to want to be affordable, their actions are doing just the opposite.


16

You don’t expect developers to pay for their infrastructure costs do you?


12

It took a while to find the REAL reason for the rate hike, but I did!


It seems, Cal Poly, which used to use the city system exclusively, now has the means to process their own sewage. That means the revenue from charging Cal Poly, has dried up, and now the city residents must shoulder the higher cost.


Never-mind that waste management has LESS sewage to contend with, it’s the city demanding more money, because the county and state is no longer paying “their fair share”.


Poly has screwed SLO once again.


27

Compensation increases on the way.


25