Carlsbad residents pay less for water than other cities around the county, but rates are about to jump. A 20 percent increase in July will add $25.30 to the average customer bill, with more to come. The Carlsbad City Council voted 4-1 last week to raise rates for water, sewer and recycled water that will bring additional increases in Jan. 2026 and 2027, for a total of $61.75, or 49% over the current rate. City staff explained that the San Diego County Water Authority raised wholesale rates by 14% last July. “That means it costs us 14% more to purchase water for Carlsbad customers,” said Shoshana Aguilar, senior management analyst with the city’s utilities department. Sixty five percent of the cost of water bills involves county water purchases from sources such as the Colorado River and desalination. The rate hikes fund the many costs of water delivery and can’t exceed the cost of service. 

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• CBS8 (San Diego): Carlsbad City Council approves 49% water rate hike