The Long Beach Utilities Department will hold a public hearing on Aug. 27 that gives residents the opportunity to block or approve monthly water and sewer rates.
A simple majority (50% plus one) of Long Beach’s 90,000 property owners with water or sewer accounts would have to object to the proposal, either through the mail or in person at the hearing, to prevent the increase.
The hearing is mandated by Proposition 218, a 1996 tax-cutting measure that requires a majority of voters to approve new levies — general taxes, fees and property assessments — imposed by local governments.
It will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Long Beach Utilities Administration Building (1800 East Wardlow Road). It comes after three public budget workshops were held on May 1, May 15 and June 17.
Four local bus routes — 21, 23, 71 and 131 — stop by the building along their regular routes. Free visitor parking is also available and Spanish interpretation will be available.
For more information on submitting a written protest, visit here.
Under the rate changes, the average Long Beach family would pay $8.26 more for a monthly water bill and $1.47 more in monthly sewer fees. Gas charges are also scheduled for a 15% increase starting in August, followed by a 12% hike next April.
Utility rates were raised in 2024: an 11% bump for water rates and 8% rise in sewage costs. It comes as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which sends water to six counties, including Los Angeles, announced it will raise rates by 8.5% in 2025 and 2026.
Service from the Long Beach Gas Department would still be lower than most others in the region, officials say.
Long Beach Board of Utilities Commissioners approved the higher rates last month as part of 2025-26 $397.4 million budget, agreeing that they’re necessary to recover the increased costs of construction and of water charged by the city’s suppliers.
There is also the need to make capital improvements that fulfill state regulations and prepare Long Beach for future global events staged here in the near future, officials say.
According to Utility Department spokesperson Joy Contreras, the city has maintenance and emergency repairs planned for about 4,000 miles of city pipeline. The budget also accounts for repairs to sewer lift stations ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Long Beach is scheduled to host 11 disciplines citywide during a 17-day period.
Prop 218 written protests can be mailed or emailed to the Executive Assistant to the Long Beach Board of Utilities Commissioners by the close of the public hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.
Property owners can also file an objection to the rate increases using the A.B. 2257 procedure; to submit a protest, a property owner must submit information to the Long Beach Utilities Department by 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025.
If the rates pass through, they will go before the Long Beach City Council as part of the 2025-26 budget process. Once approved, increases will go into effect beginning October 1.