Users of City of Santa Barbara utilities will soon experience a bump in their bills due to rate increases approved on Tuesday by the City Council. Average water bills will increase by about $2 a month-from $59.31 to $61.39-to help cover, among other things, increased water treatment costs linked to ashy run-off from the Zaca Fire. Sewage bills will increase on average by about a buck a month. Garbage collection rates will jump, on average by 32 cents a month, and those late with their bills will now pay a $5 penalty fee. The biggest increases were reserved for property owners hooking into the city’s water and waste water systems for the first time. The cost for a single family water meter hook up is jumping from $2,800 to $5,700, and the price for a sewage hook-u p from $2,200 to $4,100.
City Utility Bills to Rise
Monthly Water, Garbage Fees to Jump About $2.32