The Carlsbad City Council voted 3-1 to increase Carlsbad Municipal Water District water and wastewater, or sewer, rates at its regular meeting Dec. 2.
The new rates will go into effect this month.
“Even with the new rates, we still have among the lowest water and sewer rates in the region,” said Carlsbad Municipal Water District Manager Mark Stone. “The majority of the rate increase allows us to keep up with the increasing cost of purchasing water.”
The bulk of the city's water rate increase is due to higher rates charged by Carlsbad's main water supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority. The water authority's rates have increased more than 12.4 percent this year.
Water rates will increase to $2.12 per unit, a 20 percent increase over the current rate of $1.76. An average single-family residence would see an increase of $9.26 a month, from $45.56 to $54.82.
The wastewater rate increase was needed to fund system maintenance. Wastewater rates will increase by 9 percent, from $16.20 to $17.65.
About 85 percent of the city is served by the Carlsbad Municipal Water District. For more information, visit www.carlsbadca.gov.