HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026 Rate Increase Notice - Publicly Owned Water
On October 5, 2022, the Otay Water District (District) authorized rate increases, for a period of five years, that pass
through to our customers (1) the increased or decreased costs of wholesale water supply and (2) any other cost
increases unrelated to wholesale water up to the annual CPI increase (Consumer Price Index-U for the San Diego-
Carlsbad Area as of January 31 of the preceding year). As part of the annual budget process completed in June 2025,
the District approved implementing a water rate increase to proportionately recover the increasing costs from the
District’s wholesale water suppliers (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and San Diego County Water
Authority), as well as to cover increased costs of administering and operating the Otay water system. As a result, the
District will raise its water rates by 8.3%, effective for billings starting January 1, 2026. Depending on your billing cycle,
the new rates and charges will apply to water used as early as the beginning of December 2025. This rate increase is
81% attributable to unavoidable increased charges from wholesale water suppliers.
Your water bill has four components: the Water Rate, the Energy Charge, the MWD/CWA Charge, and the System
Charge. Each of those charges, and the change in cost, is described below.
The Water Rate(1) (per unit) is based on
your water usage. One unit of consumption
(1 hundred cubic feet) equals 748 gallons.
The Energy Charge represents the cost of the energy required to pump
or lift each unit of water to your location. This charge is applied
proportionately for every 100 feet of elevation over 450 feet. Customers
located at higher elevations pay a higher Energy Charge than customers
at lower elevations.
Energy Charge Current New
Per unit of water $0.109 $0.092
Water Rate Current New
All Units $7.12 $7.70
MWD/CWA Charges are based on meter size and reflect the costs charged by wholesale water suppliers Metropolitan Water
District and County Water Authority.
System Charges, also based on meter size, and ensure that customers pay their proportionate share of the water system’s
replacement, maintenance, and operating expenses.
Current New
Meter
Size
System
Charges
MWD/
CWA
Total System
Charges
MWD/
CWA Total
5/8" $19.86 $21.37 $41.23 $21.48 $23.89 $45.37
3/4" $19.86 $21.37 $41.23 $21.48 $23.89 $45.37
1" $24.16 $35.61 $59.77 $26.13 $39.82 $65.95
1 1/2" $35.19 $71.19 $106.38 $38.05 $79.60 $117.65
2" $48.22 $113.89 $162.11 $52.15 $127.34 $179.49
3" $101.95 $249.15 $351.10 $110.25 $278.58 $388.83
4" $172.26 $448.47 $620.73 $186.28 $501.45 $687.73
6" $339.94 $996.61 $1,336.55 $367.61 $1,114.34 $1,481.95
8" $527.68 $1,708.44 $2,236.12 $570.63 $1,910.26 $2,480.89
10" $810.53 $2,705.04 $3,515.57 $876.51 $3,024.59 $3,901.10
Fire System Charges requires a separate meter and is a monthly fee based on service size.
Fire Service System Charges
Service Size Current New
3/4" $3.05 $3.30
1" $3.13 $3.38
1 1/2" $3.44 $3.72
2" $3.95 $4.27
3" $5.84 $6.32
4" $9.07 $9.81
6" $20.71 $22.40
8" $40.78 $44.10
10" $70.95 $76.73
NOTICE OF WATER RATES, FEES, AND CHARGES FOR WATER
BILLED BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2026
This information reflects only changes to rates. For a comprehensive listing, see the Otay Water District’s Code of Ordinances at otaywater.gov.
Si requiere asistencia en español con referencia a esta notificación, favor de llamar al 619-670-2222.
Notice of Publicly-Owned
Water Rate Increase
Otay Water District
2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd.
Spring Valley, CA 91978-2004
619-670-2222
otaywater.gov
(1) Customers outside the service area or Interim Users, as defined in Section 25 of the District’s Code of Ordinances, will pay a usage fee equivalent to
two times the listed usage fee, plus any additional fees associated with their respective customer class.