San Francisco’s famously pricey cost of living is about to trickle into yet another corner of household budgets, as the city’s water and sewer bills are on track to jump roughly 23% over two years under a rate plan now in front of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
City officials say they need the cash to swap out aging pipes, modernize treatment plants, and keep pace with tougher environmental and seismic rules, all while keeping the taps running and toilets flushing.
How the increases would work
According to the SFPUC’s Proposition 218 notice, the first bump would kick in July 1, 2026. Water charges would rise about 7% and sewer charges about 15%, for a combined average increase of roughly 10.5% that year.
A second step on July 1, 2027 would again raise water rates by about 7% and sewer rates by about 14.5%. That would translate to an average 12.5% increase in the second year, bringing the total two‑year hike to around 23%.
What it will cost households
Right now, the typical single‑family household spends about $171 a year on water and sewage. Under the proposed schedule, that would rise to about $189 on July 1, 2026, and to roughly $212 on July 1, 2027, as reported by ABC7 San Francisco.
The SFPUC also estimates that the proposal would push the average monthly bill up by about $21 in fiscal year 2027 and another $23 in fiscal year 2028.
Voices on the ground
At a recent virtual webinar, SFPUC Deputy Chief Financial Officer Laura Bush did not sugarcoat the agency’s situation. “Put simply, we would not have enough money to run the water and sewer systems,” she told reporters, according to ABC7 San Francisco.
Residents who spoke to the station said their water and sewer tabs have been inching up for years and warned that another round of increases could hit renters and low‑income households especially hard in a city where every bill already seems supersized.
Public hearing and how to protest
The SFPUC will hold a public hearing on the proposal at its regular Commission meeting on April 28 at 1:30 PM in City Hall, Room 400. Details on how to formally object are spelled out in the Proposition 218 notice from the SFPUC.
Per that notice, written Objections needed to be received by 4:30 PM last Thursday, in order to be counted as Objections. Written Protests, however, will be accepted right up until the close of the April 28 hearing.
Why the SFPUC says it can't wait
Commission staff say many parts of the city’s water system are approaching 100 years old, and some sewer infrastructure dates all the way back to the Gold Rush. The longer major work is delayed, they argue, the more it costs to fix.
On top of that, the agency points to higher construction expenses, new regulatory demands, and shrinking federal support as key pressures behind the proposed hikes. Wait too long, they warn, and San Franciscans could be looking at more emergency repairs and service outages instead of planned upgrades.
Bottom line
If approved, the two‑step rate package would take effect on July 1 and July 1, 2027, reshaping water and sewer bills for households and businesses across the city.
The Commission is expected to vote after the April 28 hearing. Anyone who wants to protest the increases will need to follow the procedures spelled out in the SFPUC’s Proposition 218 notice.
