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Downey council adopts water-rate increase to fund planned $127 million PFAS treatment plant
Summary
The Downey City Council unanimously adopted a resolution raising water rates effective 01/14/2026 to fund capital work including a roughly $127 million PFAS treatment plant; staff said the increase keeps Downey among the region's lowest water rates, while residents urged relief for fixed-income households.
The Downey City Council on Jan. 13 voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 26-83329, approving new water rates the city says are necessary to restore reserves and fund capital projects including a planned PFAS treatment plant. The changes take effect Jan. 14, 2026, and customers should begin seeing the adjustments on bimonthly bills in about two months.
The move follows a multi-month rate study by Raftelis and staff presentations summarizing a decade of stagnant revenue, rising costs and the need for major capital work. "The city hasn't raised rates in 10 years," said Steve Gangan of Raftelis during the council's presentation, noting inflation and falling revenues. He said the city faces an approximate $127,000,000 cost to build a PFAS treatment facility and that proposed…
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