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Santa Clara council adopts 2025 water, sewer and recycled-water rate increases citing rising wholesale costs
Summary
After a public hearing, the Santa Clara City Council approved amended water, sewer and recycled-water rates effective July 1, 2025. City staff said wholesale costs—particularly from Valley Water and the regional wastewater facility—are driving the increases; written protests fell short of a majority under Proposition 218.
Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday approved amended rates for municipal water, sewer and recycled-water service that take effect July 1, 2025, following a public hearing that included a technical presentation from the city’s Water & Sewer Utilities staff and a report from the deputy city clerk on formal written protests.
The council’s action comes after an in-depth staff presentation led by Gary Welling, director of Water & Sewer Utilities, who told the council that “pass-through” charges from wholesale suppliers account for most of this year’s proposed increases. Welling said Valley Water’s multi‑year increases and the major capital and operating work at the South Bay regional wastewater facility (RWF) are the principal drivers.
Welling said the utility is proposing a roughly 11.2% increase for water service in fiscal year 2025–26; sewer…
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