San Vicente Reservoir
The San Vicente Reservoir in East County. Courtesy of the San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors on Thursday approved an
increase of approximately 4% in wholesale rates for 2025.

But that might not be all. The panel plans to assess the need for additional increases after a public hearing in July, according to an agency news release.

The approved increase was designed to cover pass-through costs from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that start accruing on July 1.

In addition, the board approved a pilot program that allows retail water agencies to trim about 1.5 percentage points from next year’s bill by prepaying fixed costs.

At its July 25 meeting, the board plans to consider rate increases to support the continued
maintenance and operations of regional water treatment and delivery, along with the
water authority’s financial stability.