Pictured is the Citrus Heights Water District building, 6230 Sylvan Road, Citrus Heights. Photo courtesy of the City of Citrus Heights

 

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The Citrus Heights Water District has approved new water rates for 2026, showing increases across most meter sizes and usage charges compared with 2025, according to the district’s adopted rate schedule.

A public hearing regarding the adopted charges was held at the Nov. 12 meeting. The following meeting on Nov. 18 was cancelled. 

Under the new structure, service charges for standard metered customers are rising for nearly every meter size. A 1-inch bi-monthly meter will increase from $120.05 to $128 and a 2-inch meter will rise from $293.41 to $334.91. Larger meters see even steeper increases: the 4-inch meter jumps from $1,034.13 to $1,218.98 and the 10-inch meter climbs from $3,350.85 to $3,984.05.

Only one standard meter category, the ¾-inch meter, shows a slight decrease, dropping from $72.77 to $71.57.

Usage rates are also increasing, with the per-unit cost of water rising from $1.35 to $1.38 per 100 cubic feet. Construction meter charges and combination meter service charges follow the same upward trend, with most categories seeing notable jumps. 

Project 2030 designated charges remain unchanged across all meter sizes.

The district notes that meter rate adjustments incorporate automatic increases tied to wholesale water charges imposed by the San Juan Water District and that rates can be updated again if additional wholesale changes occur.

Besides the increased meter rates, additional fees and charges have been proposed for 2026, showing moderate increases across many construction, capacity and administrative charges. The revised fees were approved on Nov. 12.

Construction-related charges saw small but steady adjustments. Capacity fees also increase across all meter sizes. A standard ⅝-inch service will rise from $3,367.11 to $3,434.45, while a 2-inch service moves from $26,936.88 to $27,475.62. Larger services, such as 12-inch connections, increase from $885,323.88 to $903,030.36.

Several administrative and customer account fees show steeper adjustments. Returned payment fees rise significantly, from $40 to $67, while customer account deposits jump from $223 to $314. Disconnect and reconnect service charges also increase substantially, each moving from $74 to $113 for standard hours. The cost of a meter re-read doubles, increasing from $63.00 to $126.00.

Project oversight and inspection charges see moderate increases as well. Plan check minimums rise from $1,532 to $1,659, while the minimum inspection charge increases from $1,605 to $1,727. Fire flow modeling shows one of the largest percentage increases, jumping from $357 to $598.

Not all fees changed; water conservation violation penalties and some backflow testing fees remain the same. However, the majority of rates trend upward as the district adjusts charges to reflect operational costs and regulatory requirements for the upcoming year.

The next regular board meeting will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 at 6230 Sylvan Road, Citrus Heights.