News Release
Ventura, Calif. – Ventura Water customers will see newly adopted water and wastewater rate adjustments reflected on monthly billing cycles starting on July 1, 2022. The Ventura City Council unanimously approved five-year water and wastewater rate increases on May 17, 2021.
Rate increases will support both daily operation and maintenance of the City’s existing water and wastewater systems, along with approximately 36 planned capital improvement projects, including the long-anticipated State Water Interconnection Project and VenturaWaterPure Program.
“For many years, our local water sources have been impacted by drought, regulatory and legal constraints,” shared Ventura Water General Manager Gina Dorrington. “Now is the time to continue to invest in our aging infrastructure and projects that will help meet regulatory requirements, help secure sustainable water supply for existing and future customers and improve our water quality.”
Over the course of eight public meetings and nearly a year of deliberation, the Water Commission, in partnership with City staff and a third-party financial consultant, underwent an extensive water and wastewater rate study to evaluate the City’s water rate tiers, water shortage rates, wastewater rate structure, and financing options for major projects.
The results of the study showed that an average annual rate increase of seven percent for water service and six percent for wastewater service was needed each year to continue to operate and maintain the systems, repair, and replace aging infrastructure, secure water supply, improve water quality, and meet legal and environmental regulations.
Leading up to City Council’s decision, Ventura Water conducted over 20 community presentations and hosted several virtual town hall meetings where information about anticipated rate impacts was shared with community members, neighborhood groups, clubs, businesses, and economic development stakeholders.
For more information, or to see a comparison between old and new rates, please visit www.venturawaterrates.net.
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