Los Angeles Moves Forward With Higher Sewer Service Fees Through 2028

A security guard stands at the entrance to the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey, in Los Angeles County, Calif., on July 13, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Property owners in Los Angeles may soon face a 22 percent hike in their sewer service bills as the City Council gave preliminary approval Friday for new rates that would rise further through 2028.

Councilors voted 11–3 in favor of an ordinance that aims to establish a new rate schedule for sewer services, which officials say is needed to maintain operations and invest in aging infrastructure. Prior to this proposal, the city had not raised sewer fees since 2020, opting to keep rates flat due to the coronavirus pandemic.