Whittier, CA
Home MenuUtility Rates FAQ
Last Updated March 19, 2019
Utility Fees - General Info
The City completed a water and sewer rate study in 2024. You may contact the City of Whittier Public Works Department at PubWks@cityofwhittier.org or call (562) 567-9500 for additional information.
The Notice of Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Changes to Water, Sewer and Reclaimed Water Rates was mailed to all Whittier property owners and tenants directly responsible for the payments of these fees in the Fall of 2024 with a public hearing held on November 12, 2024. The notice was published in the Whittier Daily News and a copy placed on the City website. Additional notices were placed at various City facilities, including Public Works counter in City Hall, the Community Center, Senior Centers and Libraries. The notice covers rate changes for calendar years 2025-2029.
The fees proposed in the Notice of Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Changes to Water, Sewer, and Reclaimed Water Rates will list the maximum amount the fees can be increased without another notice and public hearing. The Public Hearing to hear and consider all public testimony and protests was held in City Council Chamber on November 12, 2024.
New water and sewer rates will take effect January 1, 2025.
Utility Fees - Solid Waste
Solid waste collection customers with a combined gross income of all members of the family or household residing together of less than sixty-two thousand four hundred dollars ($62,400) for the prior calendar year and have been approved for the City’s utility users tax exemption will qualify for the $5 per month discount. For more information on applying for the City’s utility users tax exemption call Customer Service at (562) 567-9530.
In addition, a 10% discount is available for low income seniors and active military members. Seniors must be 62 years of age or older, be head of household and qualify for Supplemental Social Security Income. Active military members must maintain the property as his or her permanent residence while stationed away from home. These discounts to not apply to charges for additional carts, temporary bin services or temporary roll-off service. Call your solid waste service provider to apply.
- Athens Services (888) 336-6100
Athens Services is a private franchised waste hauling companies that was approved by the City to provide solid waste collection and recycling services to City residents and businesses. Athens Services is responsible for servicing all containers (trash, organics & recycling) Citywide.
- Athens Services (888) 336-6100
The current agreements the City has with Athens Services calls for an annual rate increase according to a formula based on costs for disposal, labor, fuel and the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Utility Fees - Water and Sewer
Water customers served by the City with a combined gross income of all members of the family or household residing together of less than sixty-two thousand four hundred dollars ($62,400) for the prior calendar year and has been approved for the City’s utility users tax exemption qualify for the $6 per month low income water discount. For more information on applying for the City’s utility users tax exemption call Customer Service at (562) 567-9530.
- No. By law, we cannot charge customers more than what it costs to provide the service. The City’s public utility systems are owned by our customers and governed by the City Council; we do not have shareholders or pay dividends.
- Enterprise Funds must pay for themselves and meet minimum debt and reserves to maintain a healthy utility. The purpose of a five-year rate study is to reconcile these differences in projected expenses and revenues and factor actual expenses and surpluses or deficits into the projected revenue needs for the next five years. Rate revenues must also fund reserves to address unforeseen conditions such as emergency repairs, or drought, and to meet debt requirements. Utility reserves are not used to fund other City expenditures and must only be utilized for the respective utility enterprise fund. The rate study will include projected expenses and forecasted cost increases over the next five to 10 years. If there is additional revenue or expenses, the funds will either be slightly in the positive or slightly in the negative, with the objective of a healthy utility fund to balance revenues with expenses over multiple years.
Proposed rates are determined following evaluation and analysis of cost escalations related to operation and maintenance, water treatment and distribution, sewer collection, capital project costs, general inflation, and material cost increases. California’s Proposition 218 requires the City to follow certain procedures when proposing rate adjustments to water and sewer services and follow a public process that provides property owners with an opportunity to protest proposed rate increases if they feel they are unwarranted.
Under CA Prop 218, property owners and customers will receive a public notice detailing proposed rate adjustments, the protest process, and the City Council Public Hearing date. Property owners will have 45 days to petition the proposed rate adjustments through a simple written process. In the Public Hearing, the City Council will review customer petitions and consider approving or denying rate adjustments. Should the City receive a majority protest from customers, rate adjustments will not be implemented.
- The City’s utilities are funded separately from the City’s General Fund, primarily by the rates customers pay. Customer payments ensure the City’s ability to deliver high-quality, reliable water and sewer services in a manner that values our environment and community, and sustains the resources entrusted to our care. The City of Whittier is committed to good governance, fiscal accountability, and transparency, with systems and policies in place to earn the trust of our customers.
Whittier property owners with a combined gross income of all members of the family or household residing together of less than sixty-two thousand four hundred dollars ($62,400) for the prior calendar year and have been approved for the City’s utility users tax exemption are qualified to receive the discount. For more information on applying for the City’s utility users tax exemption call Customer Service at (562) 567-9530.
- The City is continually making necessary investments in utility capital improvements to meet current and future system needs, including the renewal, replacement, improvement, and expansion of capital facilities and infrastructure. The five-year, $29.7million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) lays out the immediate infrastructure projects needed to continue delivering high-quality services to our community. CIP projects include water and sewer main replacements, water well replacements and upgrades, Murphy and Rideout Reservoir replacement, pump station replacement, booster station improvements, and large valve replacement program.
Water rates include two components: a fixed service charge varied by meter sizes and a commodity charge for the water used. Water fees are calculated by multiplying the usage rate by the water usage and adding the service fee.
Sample Calculation:
The bi-monthly bill for water charges for a single family residence with a 3/4" meter and using 13 billing units (BU) of water per month (26 BU bi-monthly) in 2023-2024 is calculated as follows:
Tier 1 Commodity Charge: 22 units x $2.54 = $ 55.88 Tier 2 Commodity Charge: 4 units x $4.15 = $16.60 Service Charge: $ 80.03 Total bi-monthly water fee (2 months): $152.51 Sewer rates are based on measured water usage plus an annual customer service charge of $8.45 to each customer account to cover customer service related costs.
Sample Calculation:
The annual fee in 2023-24 for a single family residence using 13 billing units of water per month is calculated as follows:
Annual Usage Charge: 13 units/mo x 12 mos x $1.17 usage rate = $157.17 Annual Customer Service Charge: $8.45 Annual Total Sewer Fee:
$165.62
Note: 1 Billing Unit (BU) = 100 cu ft or 748 gallons of water
Proposition 218 requires the City to adopt rate structures that reflect the City’s actual costs of serving each customer class. The rates for Fiscal Years 2019-20 through 2023-24 and the rates for Calendar Years 2025-2029 can be found below:
Water Rates (FY 2019-20 through 2023-24)
The sewer fee is included annually on your property tax bill issued by the County of Los Angeles itemized as “Sewer Svc Chg”.
- No. Water funds can only be used on water projects and sewer funds can only be used on sewer projects. For example, water or sewer system revenues cannot be used to fund other City services, such as libraries, parks, or public safety.
The sewer fee is waived if your property is not hooked up to the sewer system. There are only a few properties in Whittier served by private septic tanks.
The City of Whittier does not supply my water. I am served by a private water company. Will my fees still increase?
You would need to check with the private water company that provides your water service. Contact telephone numbers are listed below:
- Suburban Water Systems (562) 944-8219
- San Gabriel Water (562) 699-1041
- Orchard Dale (562) 941-0114
- Golden State Water (562) 864-8214
- Cal Domestic (562) 947-3811
- The City is committed to using industry best practices to ensure we plan thoughtfully for the future. Revenues collected through water and sewer rates are invested in our infrastructure to secure system reliability now and well into the future. Revenues derived from utility rates ensure the continuity of operations and reliable service delivery. As an example, rates pay for:
• Purchase and pumping of local groundwater
• Replacing and repairing aging infrastructure.
• Maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure, such as water reservoirs, booster stations, and groundwater wells.
• Maintaining more than 155 miles of water pipelines and 211 miles of sewer pipelines to ensure water delivery to homes and businesses, and sewer collection to be treated and recycled by Los Angeles County.
• Maintaining, repairing, and replacing more than 1,064 fire hydrants.
• Hiring and retaining highly skilled, qualified, and licensed staff to operate the water and sewer systems and conduct water quality monitoring.
- If rates are not raised, the City would need to review the pressing needs of our aging systems and prioritize those that are most critical to ensure public and environmental health. We would be forced to defer major infrastructure projects, which would, in turn, leave our existing systems vulnerable. These investments are needed now. Deferring until later will only guarantee higher costs and possible increased regulatory oversight by permitting agencies.
The City hires consultants with expertise in water and sewer rate studies in California and across the country. The consultants’ scope of work includes developing long-range financial plans for utility services and assisting with the California Proposition 218 process and Public Hearing required for adopting new rates. The rate study consists of a series of steps involving data evaluation, performing technical analyses, deriving customer rates, and understanding customer impacts of any modifications. Once rate proposals are determined, the complete study is documented in a Study Report to serve as part of the City’s administrative record.
In California, all parcels connected to a utility system must be given notice of any rate changes with the ability to protest the proposed rates. The notice details the proposed rates, the basis for calculating the proposed rates, the reason for the proposed rate increase, the details of the Public Hearing, and the property owner’s right to protest. After a protest period of no less than 45 days, the City Council will conduct a Public Hearing. Absent a majority protest to the rate proposal, the City Council may choose to adopt the rates as noticed.
2024 Rate Study Schedule: The most recent water and sewer rate study was completed in November 2024 the new rates will be implemented on January 1, 2025. We encourage the community to stay informed about water supplies, sewer collection, and utility rates through the website at https://www.cityofwhittier.org/government/rates. Residents are also encouraged to submit questions or comments via email to pubwks@cityofwhittier.org or call (562) 567-9530.
- Establishing rates is a collaborative effort with input from City staff, financial experts, community members, and the City Council.
The City is committed to providing safe and reliable quality water for our customers. As our water system ages, it is important to continue investing in replacing and rebuilding them in accordance with a long-term, balanced financing plan. Based on the 2019 comprehensive water rate/cost of service study, it has been determined that changes are necessary to the City's water rates in order to generate the revenue required to fund the current and projected costs of operations and maintenance; fund capital infrastructure improvements vital for providing safe and reliable drinking water; maintain the operational and financial stability of the water fund; and meet debt service obligations.
The most recent City of Whittier water and sewer rate study was completed in 2024, after which annual rate increases through 2029 were approved and implemented. Ideally, rate studies should be performed every 3-5 years. Regular rate studies are critical to the healthy operation of the City’s utilities. Utility systems must keep up with rising costs and be able to implement critical capital projects that are mandated or necessary for the health and safety of our community.
Performed regularly, utility rate studies provide transparency into what the City can expect in the years ahead and ensure we have the financial resources to meet our budget, maintain our infrastructure, implement new technologies, address existing and new state and federal regulations, and implement our Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Other elements of rate studies include the development of a reserve policy that considers the different types of risks we face, including future drought conditions, emergency repairs, and increased water costs and ensures revenue stability while maintaining affordability.
Rate studies are conducted as an industry best practice to ensure that a utility’s financial health is maintained, and that the City is setting a course toward meeting future financial obligations. The industry standard is to perform comprehensive rate studies every three to five years.
Our last water and sewer rate study was completed in 2024. Due to inflation-related cost increases to operate and maintain the systems, repairs and replacement, and meeting state and federal regulations, the utilities’ fund revenues have been impacted. The rate study is being conducted to adjust rates to address the deficit and balance operating budgets, while also planning for future capital improvement projects.
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