Valley Sanitary District No Longer Moving Forward with Proposed New Rate Increase

As a ratepayer of Valley Sanitary District, you may recall receiving a Proposition 218 notice in the mail regarding the District’s proposed rate increase. The 98-year-old District has been facing an aging infrastructure requiring significant improvements, and there are capital projects that will need to be addressed with impending regulatory mandates expected in the coming years. A new rate increase was being proposed and considered proactive in efforts supporting the District’s future operations.

However, the community’s voices were heard, and we understand that these projects would ultimately create some hardships for those whom we serve, which is something we certainly would not want.

Therefore, during the April 25, 2023, Regular Board of Directors meeting, the Board unanimously approved to cancel Proposition 218 notice sent to customers regarding the proposed annual sewer rate scheduled for July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028. After careful consideration and public input, the Board of Directors voted to cancel the new proposed sewer rate increase.

This decision does not eliminate the need for the upcoming projects planned under the new proposed rate increase. The District will continue to actively seek grant opportunities to provide the necessary funding for us to serve our community with wastewater services that offer future solutions to removing biosolids and those that facilitate clean and safe recycled water. 

While the May 23, 2023, public hearing to discuss the new proposed rate increases is canceled, the sewer service changes adopted in Resolution No. 2021-1142 back in 2021 are still in effect through June 30, 2026. This adopted rate increase is substantially lower than the new rate increase that was being proposed and will provide for essential projects such as repairing and updating collection and treatment equipment and funding the construction of a recycled water system to increase water supply reliability.

The following rate schedule presents the year-by-year increase through the end of the fiscal year 2025/26:

The Valley Sanitary District Board of Directors expresses sincere appreciation to all who have contacted the District to offer their input on the proposed new rate increase, as well as to Congressmen Ruiz and Assemblyman Garcia and their staffs for taking the time to visit the District and offer their support as we continue to plan for the operational and financial stability of the District in the future.