Watsonville Community Webinar , April 29, 2026

The City of Watsonville held a community webinar on April 29, 2026, to discuss proposed utility rate changes for water, sewer, and solid waste services. The presentation detailed the aging infrastructure challenges, regulatory requirements, and capital improvement projects driving the need for rate adjustments. Key projects include a $25 million hexavalent chromium treatment for water wells and a $37 million low-interest state loan to fund wastewater treatment plant upgrades. The city emphasized that utility services are funded solely through customer rates, with no profits, and that the proposed rate increases are necessary to maintain service reliability and comply with new regulations. The typical single-family home is expected to see an estimated monthly increase of about $14 starting July 1, 2026, with annual adjustments through 2030. The webinar also explained the Proposition 218 public hearing and protest process, with a public hearing scheduled for May 26, 2026. Attendees were encouraged to submit questions and participate in the rate adoption process.