What to know about the incoming changes to your San Diego water bill

City of San Diego water customers will see changes to their bills starting in January, when a new billing structure for single-family homes takes effect alongside a previously approved water rate increase. The changes stem from a lawsuit filed in 2015 challenging the city’s tiered water pricing system.

Under the new structure, customers who use less water are expected to see their monthly bills increase, while those who use more water could pay less. The city estimates the average monthly bill for a low-use customer in a single-family home will increase by about $6, while the bill for a high-use customer is expected to decrease by $20.

The San Diego City Council voted 6-2 on Tuesday to approve the modified water rate structure. City leaders said they disagreed with the court’s decision but were legally required to comply.

“The city does not agree with the court’s decision in the [Daniel Patz et al. v. City of San Diego] case. However, we are legally required to have a structure the court deems valid,” a staff member, who presented on this agenda item to council members, said. 

The lawsuit, filed in 2015, challenged San Diego’s tiered water payment system, which charges single-family homeowners different rates based on how much water they use.

Under the previous system, customers who used less water, like through water-efficient landscaping, paid less per unit. Customers who used more water, such as those with large yards or pools, paid more.

The new structure will instead charge customers based only on the amount of water they use, eliminating the tiered pricing system challenged in the lawsuit.

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The city attempted to fight the ruling, including taking the final decision to an appeals court, but was unsuccessful. San Diego is now responsible for a $40 million settlement.

One city leader expressed frustration with the change during Tuesday’s council meeting.

“It makes me angry because what is being imposed on us as a city and, therefore imposed, on the people of San Diego is a penalty for doing more to conserve water,” Sean Elo-Rivera, the council member representing district 9, said. 

The changes have drawn mixed reactions from residents, particularly in a region that regularly faces water shortages and drought conditions.

Isabel Jordan said she initially thought all customers should pay the same rate but came to understand the reasoning behind offering incentives for water conservation.

“I mean we’re in Southern California. We’re in a water crisis, water shortage constantly, in and out of drought, so at first I was like, ’oh, everyone should pay the same rate,’ then I kind of understand the incentive behind subsidizing more efficient consumers of water,” Jordan said. 

The city expects low-use customers to face the biggest monthly price changes. A city representative acknowledged that even a modest increase could affect households that have made an effort to conserve water.

The modified billing structure is expected to take effect in January, when the separate, previously approved water rate increase also begins.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.