Atascadero City Council to review 37% sewer rate increase protests

June 9, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

The Atascadero City Council on Tuesday will review written protests and listen to public comment on its plan to raise sewer rates by approximately 37% over the next two years, according to the meeting agenda.

The council voted in favor of the rate increases in April. However, the city is required to provide ratepayers an 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 submitted valid written protests, the city may not adopt the proposed rates. If not, the city council is in line to approve the proposed rate increases on Tuesday.

City staff proposed the rate increases to cover rising treatment and energy costs, impacts of regulation and legislation, and the need to upgrade or replace the city’s wastewater facilities and infrastructure. The waste water facility improvement project is expected to exceed $100 million in current costs.

The city council voted in April for sewer rates increases of 18.5% annually over two years. For a typical single-family residential customer, the average bill would increase from $48.15 to $57.06 in the first year — an increase of approximately $8.91.