Comparing Santa Barbara City Water Rates

By an edhat subscriber

The city of Santa Barbara is considering raising water rates, so I looked at how we compare with other cities.

According to the city utility page (usage comparison table), the average monthly consumption for all single family residential users in 2016 was 11.4 HCF (hundred cubic feet). Based on a 5/8″ connection, here are the comparable rates for local cities for 11.4 HCF per month:

• Santa Barbara $138.72
• Santa Maria $78.48
• Ventura $50.09
• San Luis Obispo $94.75
• Santa Monica $34.31

The totals include the monthly service charge and usage fee. They exclude utility tax and sewer fees.

Does anyone know why we pay so much more in Santa Barbara? We get most of our water from our local watershed, so transport costs should be considerably lower. And our desal plant has just started up.