Sonoma Water wins board approval for 2025–26 sewer rate increases; capacity charge hike deferred

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a package of sewer service charge increases for eight sanitation districts and zones managed by Sonoma Water and authorized a $600,000 Sanitation Rate Relief Program, but decided not to adopt proposed increases to capacity charges and instead maintain current charges while staff completes further study.

The action affects Airport, Larkfield‑Wikiup, Geyserville, Penngrove, Sea Ranch and the county sanitation districts for Occidental, Russian River, South Park and Sonoma Valley. Sonoma Water staff told the board the yearly sewer service increases range roughly from 3.5% to 8.9% across the districts and zones, translating to monthly rate increases of about $4 to $16 for district customers and about $9 to $14 for zone customers. The board also approved continuing the Sanitation Rate Relief Program for qualifying households using up to $600,000 from Sonoma Water’s general fund.

Why it matters: Sonoma Water said increased costs reflect inflation, supply‑chain pressures, rising regulatory demands, water‑quality work and aging infrastructure — some facilities are 40 to 70 years old. Board…