SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego residents from underserved communities, seniors, to recent flood victims, gathered to protest against proposed water rate increases at the San Diego County Water Authority on Thursday.
The water authority's board met to deliberate on future pricing.
It's why residents came to share during public comments their demands for any future rate hikes not to be passed down to customers.
The protest comes just weeks after water rates in the City of San Diego increased at the beginning of May, adding financial pressure to many residents already struggling with high costs of living.
"I'm asking that the water rates don't go up since most San Diegans can't afford rate increases, especially the flood victims," Greg Montoya, a Southcrest resident and January 2024 flood victim, told the board during Thursday's meeting.
Residents held signs as they addressed the water authority board, sharing personal stories about their struggles with paying their current water bills.
Hannah Cano with the San Diego County Workers Benefit Council spoke on behalf of struggling residents and said, "Working people are struggling to pay every single day, going into debt, you know, struggling to choose between rent, food, water, and electricity."
Among those affected is Terri Altorelli, who told the board she's "drowning in water bills," and that the lastest rate increase now consumes 60 percent of her income.
"If it continues to raise the water rates and my rent continues to go up, they're pushing me into homelessness," Altorelli said.
Harrold Roberts, whose home was damaged in the January 2024 floods, showed ABC 10News his most recent water bill that he's required to pay despite still being displaced from his home.
"I need some kind of a discount. It'll be for the needy, not the greedy, and whatever is donated sure will be appreciated," Roberts said.
The board said it faced a difficult decision Thursday, balancing the need to provide water to the county while managing aging infrastructure, debt, and minimizing rate increases for residents.
Nick Serrano, Deputy Chief of Staff for the City of San Diego, noted that officials had cut the initially forecasted 18% increase from January in half.
Serrano said, "In March, we brought it to 13% as a result of a water transfer deal selling off excess water supplies to those who need it. Still I felt that was not acceptable to pass through to our residents. In April we got it to 10.4%, which is reflected in the staff recommendation in the presentation. And in June, we brought it down to 9.3 as a result of net settlement, a stark contrast from just two years ago. The 8.3% is the lowest option in front of us today and it's the one that I will be supporting."
The committee ultimately voted to set the rate increase to 8.3% for the next year.
Jordan Bean, Principal Public Affairs Representative, issued a statement Thursday, which said:
San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today approved wholesale water rates for 2026 following a public hearing and approved the recommended budget for the next two fiscal years. Despite ongoing inflationary pressures and the continued impacts of climate change on the Southwest, the Water Authority minimized impacts on ratepayers through a number of cost-saving actions. Water Authority staff and Board members collectively reduced the final 2026 wholesale water rate increase to 8.3%, less than half of what was forecasted in early 2025.
