Foster City water, sewage rates rising

While the council voted to allow for the multiyear maximum increases, Vice Mayor Art Kiesel and Councilmember Patrick Sullivan affirmed future councils do not have to adhere to the permitted amounts. 

“Everyone pulls me over and is so angry about water rates going up so if there is a possibility for it to go down, I’d like that to be heard,” Sullivan said. 

The changes have to follow Proposition 218, meaning if the majority of the parcel owners object to the proposed increases, they cannot be implemented. The city mailed notices of the increase to owners in March, and only two written protests were received. 

Wastewater rates will also increase over the next several years by about 2%, though no increases will occur until mid-2026. By 2030, an average single-family residence would pay about $144, compared to the current average of $133. According to the staff report, the increases allow for operational cost increases and capital expenditures, and it also takes into account the cost of the wastewater treatment plant project, which has been a multiyear joint effort between Foster City and San Mateo. It is one of the initiatives under the Clean Water project, which was initiated about a decade ago as part of a broader effort to improve the area’s sewer collection and wastewater treatment processes. Earlier this year, it was announced that the final stages of the project are expected to cost more than $24 million more than anticipated, with Foster City’s total share increasing by $8 million.

The council unanimously approved the increases, though Councilmember Phoebe Venkat noted assistance options available for residents. 

“It looks like we had 38 customers that enrolled in the wastewater rate assistance program so even though staff has worked hard to get the word out, we could definitely see that number rise,” she said.