Funding Water System Improvements

Paying for Our Investments

The City of Fresno has explored available funding sources, including grants and low-interest loans, to minimize user rates. The vast majority of water utilities rely on water rates, and the California Constitution and water industry standards identify accepted parameters for establishing those rates.

To pay for Recharge Fresno projects, the City of Fresno has secured $340.2 million in California State Revolving Fund low-interest loans. These loans will spread the impact of project costs over 30 years and reduce the impact on ratepayers.

In February 2015, the City of Fresno approved a five-year water rate plan following a robust community involvement and Proposition 218 process to raise awareness about the need for the rate increase and the benefits of ensuring a long-term sustainable water supply and system for Fresnans. That conversation and analysis resulted in the approved five-year rates that, in 2019, will remain lower than the average 2015 water rates in comparable California cities.

With Fresno’s five-year water rate plan, 2019 water charges will remain lower than the average 2015 water rates in comparable California cities.

Controlling Monthly Bills

All ratepayers are able to control their monthly bill by carefully managing water usage and taking advantage of water conservation recommendations and services. In fact, the new rate plan allocates approximately 64 percent of the cost of providing water service to the “consumption charge” (the charge per hundred cubic feet) for water usage. This means users have more control over their monthly water bill based on how much water they use.