Proposed Water & Sewer Rates Frequently Asked Questions
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Why do you need to raise water and sewer rates?
Water and sewer systems are vital to public health. Everyone needs clean water. Everyone needs functioning plumbing. It’s critical to maintain and upgrade these aging systems that we rely on every day.
Many parts of San Francisco’s water system are about 100 years old. The oldest parts of our sewer system date back to the Gold Rush. We’re replacing aging water and sewer mains to prevent breaks, ensure reliable service and improve seismic safety.
Additionally, new regulatory requirements for water quality and environmental protection mean upgrades to our systems are needed. Other things driving rates are: declining federal investment, paying off existing debt from completed upgrades, and high construction costs in a dense urban environment like San Francisco.
By law, our rates are based on the actual costs of providing water and sewer service to our customers, nothing more. We raise rates when necessary to cover the costs of operating, maintaining and upgrading San Francisco’s water and sewer systems so we can continue to provide a clean, reliable source of drinking water to our customers and protect public health and the environment.
How do you determine the amount to charge ratepayers?
The SFPUC is required to undertake independent rate studies at least every five years to ensure the rates customers are charged reflect the actual cost of providing our services. The latest independent rate study found that these proposed rate increases are warranted.
Even with these needed rate increases, our services are a tremendous value. One gallon of our world-class tap water would cost only 2 cents, while a gallon of bottled water costs $1.44 on average. The proposed new rates are also competitive. Even with this increase, the average customer’s water and sewer bill in San Francisco would still be less than in Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego and Santa Cruz, and just slightly more than in Oakland.
We understand that making ends meet is a challenge for many San Franciscans. That is why we offer multiple ways for people to lower their bill through water-wise checkups and rebates. Low-income customers may qualify for our Customer Assistance Program, which provides a 25% to 40% discount on water and sewer bills or 30% of your Hetch Hetchy Power bill. Learn more at sfpuc.gov/savings.
What happens if rates are not raised?
We are funded by ratepayers, not taxes. We save ratepayer dollars by borrowing money for future construction projects through low-interest loans. Not being able to raise rates would lower our credit rating and make it more expensive to pay for future needed maintenance and upgrades. Some future projects would be canceled, making our systems less resilient and reliable. This would also result in a loss of construction jobs for San Franciscans. Crucially, the SFPUC would be at risk of not meeting new regulatory requirements to allow us to continue to run our wastewater system.
What are you doing to help people who can’t afford rates increases?
We recognize that affordability is an issue for our communities. That’s why in January we cut our electricity rates by at least 20% for all of our CleanPowerSF customers. For those who are SFPUC water and wastewater customers as well as CleanPowerSF customers, the average household will only see a 3% increase in their monthly SFPUC utility costs next year.
For our customers with low incomes, we offer a Customer Assistance Program that provides a 25% to 40% discount on water and sewer bills for qualified customers. Get more information and apply at sfpuc.gov/savings.
Additionally, we offer free resources to save water and money. These include numerous rebates, grants, and other services. They’re available to residents, businesses, and organizations. For example, we assist you with free personalized water-wise checkups and rebates on efficient toilets, washing machines, and other fixtures. Customers can also sign up for an online bill paying portal called MyAccount, which shows water usage. Additional resources can be found at sfpuc.gov/savings.
If you are behind on your water/sewer bill, you can request a flexible payment plan online at sfpuc.gov/PaymentPlan or by emailing PaymentPlan@sfwater.org. You can also call Customer Service at (415) 551-3000 for assistance.
This is just making San Francisco unaffordable!
No one likes rate increases, but the alternative to not making these needed upgrades would be far more expensive for our ratepayers in the long run.
Water and sewer systems are vital to public health. Everyone needs clean water. Everyone needs functioning plumbing. It’s critical to maintain and upgrade these aging systems that we all rely on every day.
Taking action now to improve these systems will save money in the long run. The longer we wait to make needed upgrades, the more they will cost.
San Francisco is not alone in this. Utilities across the country face the same need to repair and replace aging systems, many of which were built decades ago with federal dollars. Federal support peaked in the 1970s and ‘80s. Now, there is little federal help. Utilities find themselves largely on their own to make needed investments. San Francisco is ahead of the curve and tackling the problem head on before it becomes even more expensive.
Stay Connected
Learn more about our water and sewer rates at sfpuc.gov/2026-Rates, including discount, rebate, and incentive programs for customers. For questions about water and sewer rates, email us at ratesinfo@sfwater.org or call (415) 554-3289.