Thousand Oaks council approves 2026–27 water and wastewater rate package; council cites infrastructure and fire-resiliency costs

The Thousand Oaks City Council voted 5–0 on Nov. 4 to adopt a package of ordinances and resolutions implementing water and wastewater rate adjustments for 2026–27, formalizing new fees and administrative procedures staff says are needed to maintain system reliability.

Council approved a citywide 5% annual adjustment to water revenue effective Jan. 2, 2026, and Jan. 1, 2027, together with a wholesale pass-through charged by the regional supplier (staff noted a $0.42 per unit pass-through in Jan. 2026 and an additional $0.60 per unit in 2027). Staff said the combined changes are intended to support operations, maintenance and planned capital projects without issuing new debt.

"These investments are about protecting public health, supporting fire safety and environmental sustainability," Tara Tesado, the city's budget officer, told the council. Tesado said the city's water system serves about 17,000 customers (roughly 50,000 residents) and is 100% supplied by imported water, which raises volumetric costs compared with agencies that have local groundwater.

Staff showed estimated household impacts for 2026: a low-use single-family household (about 10 units per month) would see a monthly bill move from $92.51 to…