Redwood City may see more sewer rate increases after 2027, with its wastewater treatment provider citing aging infrastructure and costly improvements.
Two-thirds of the city’s cost to its sewer system goes toward Silicon Valley Clean Water, which handles the treatment and disposal of wastewater for Redwood City, Wastewater Superintendent Robin Kim said.
“For every dollar in rates, about 68 cents of that is going toward covering SVCW’s costs and 32 cents is going toward covering the city’s costs,” Kim said.
The treatment plant, located in Redwood Shores and serving more than 220,000 people, was commissioned in 1981, making much of it over 40 years old.
“It’s all driven by aging infrastructure when you’re dealing with mechanical systems,” Matthew Zucca, authority manager for Silicon Valley Clean Water, said. “We’re in that lifecycle of replacing some of the infrastructure that’s getting to the end of its useful life.”
While the treatment plan needs improvements, the city’s own collection system was developed over multiple decades. With more than 180 miles of pipeline, the majority dates back to before the 1990s, with some dating back to the 1940s and 1950s.
“It’s a lot of infrastructure we’re having to maintain and replace as we go along,” Kim said.
Councilmember Jeff Gee also noted the importance of further assessments due to the unique geography of the plant.
“The conditions are amplified by very, very low current in the soil, so the combination of water, salt and very low current amplify corrosion so nothing lasts as it normally would,” he said.
Last April, the city solidified its rates for three years, but it could see increases starting in fiscal year 2027-28 to cover some of the capital improvement upgrades. The city also plans to use $15.7 million from its sewer fund reserve to fund the necessary upgrades over the next few years. The City Council will likely discuss the updated rates in the last half of 2026.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.