On February 8, 2024, the City released an RFP to assess the cost of service and rate design study for the City's existing domestic water and sewer systems. Click here to review the RFP. Proposals for the RFP are due on March 21, 2024 and the contract was approved at the July 1, 2024 City Council Meeting. The adoption included the creation of an Ad Hoc Water and Sewer Rate Study Committee.

Ad Hoc Water & Sewer Rate Study Committee Activities

To kick off their work, the Ad Hoc Water & Sewer Rate Study Committee toured both City and Three Valleys Municipal Water District facilities between October and November 2024, gaining valuable insight into the water and sewer enterprise.

Following the tours, the Committee reviewed the City's current Water and Sewer Master Plans—including key Capital Improvement Projects—evaluated production reports, and analyzed revenue and expenditures within the enterprise funds.

To learn more, please visit the Ad Hoc Committee Information tab on the top left corner of this page.  

On Monday, April 7, the City Council and the Ad Hoc Water & Sewer Rate Study Committee held a joint study session to explore the current and future financial needs of La Verne’s water and sewer utilities. Residents may view the PowerPoint that was utilized during the presentation. 

The discussion include: 

• A review of the current financial status of the utilities
• The true cost of delivering high-quality water and sewer services
• Projected needs over the next 5 years
• Rate comparisons from comparable providers
• A look at potential rate structure alternatives
• Hypothetical scenarios, not proposed rates, to better understand how different rate models might affect service sustainability
• Community workshops moving forward

While no decisions have been made, the Council has asked for more in-depth analysis on possible options. The City will continue to work on potential rate options over the next few months. 

The Ad Hoc Water and Sewer Rate Committee met on July 10 to hear the City’s third-party consultant provide five rate scenarios, ranging from a “no increase” to a “100 percent” increase scenario in which to ensure water and sewer rates are in line with the modern need to deliver quality water and sewer services to the residents.  Please review the consultant’s presentation on the scenarios, hypothetical residential bills based on pumping zones, and where a recommended rate increase would place City ratepayers versus other water users receiving water from the same basin. The next meeting at which the Committee will recommend a rate increase to the City Council is July 30 at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. Please be there to be part of the discussion!

The City receives its domestic water from groundwater wells and import water from Three Valleys Municipal Water District Connections, which pulls water from the Colorado River and the state water project through Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The City has nine (9) total groundwater wells with eight (8) currently active, which supply 25% of the City’s annual water distribution. The groundwater and import water is blended at City facilities before being distributed to customers. 

The City’s water system operates under seven (7) zones, which are broken down into five (5) billing cycles, and provides service to approximately 8,900 customers. These zones are labeled numerically one (1) through six (6), and the plateau rate. The zones are charged at different rates based on costs to pump to the customer. The plateau rate is charged a special rate and these customers are entered into the plateau rate by agreement. The City’s current water rate structure consists of three components for its bi-monthly payments: (1) a fixed meter charge, (2) charge for pumping, dependent on customer zone, and (3) a commodity charge, which is based on the amount of water used, measured per unit (1,000 gallons). The plateau rate is charged only for two components for its bi-monthly payments: (1) charge for pumping, dependent on customer location, and (2) a commodity charge, which is based on the amount of water used, measured per unit (1,000 gallons).

The City has a collection and conveyance sewer system. The City’s sewer system consists of approximately 112 miles of sewer mainlines and owns and operates two (2) sewer lift stations. The sewer system is connected to the Los Angeles County Sanitation District’s system. The City charges sewer fees at a flat rate of $23.43 per bi-monthly billing cycle (approximately 60 days). Commercial, industrial, and institutional customers are additionally charged $0.20 per unit throughout the bi-monthly billing period, an approximately 60-day cycle.

In 2018, the City Council approved the most recent rate increase of $0.37 on the water volumetric rate and a $4.43 increase on the bimonthly sewer rate.