Sonoma Valley Sewer Rates Are Increasing by 6 Percent July 1, 2025

The Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Water Agency, also known as Sonoma Water, on Tuesday approved sewer service rate increases and continued support for low-income customers for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The board also amended a proposal to raise capacity charges, choosing instead to keep them at current levels. Capacity charges are typically applied to new development to ensure the cost of growth isn’t passed entirely to existing customers. The Board of Directors expressed support for future updates to the charges that improve proportionality and better balance housing goals with infrastructure needs.

New sewer service rates will apply to the Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup, Geyserville, Penngrove and Sea Ranch sanitation zones, as well as the Occidental, Russian River, South Park and Sonoma Valley County Sanitation Districts. Rates will be collected on the property tax roll and remain in effect until changed by the board.
The approved rate increases are necessary to support ongoing operations, maintenance and critical infrastructure upgrades.

New annual rates include:

Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup: $1,444 (up $112 or 8.5%)
Geyserville: $1,680 (up $132 or 8.6%)
Penngrove: $2,298 (up $166 or 7.8%)
Sea Ranch: $1,806 (up $148 or 8.9%)
Occidental: $3,146 (up $140 or 4.7%)
Russian River: $2,486 (up $194 or 8.5%)
Sonoma Valley: $1,428 (up $80 or 6%)
South Park: $1,232 (up $42 or 3.5%)

The board also renewed the Sanitation Rate Relief Program, which provides a 50 percent discount on sewer bills for eligible low-income homeowners and qualifying nonprofits. Up to $600,000 from Sonoma Water’s general fund is allocated annually. In fiscal year 2024-25, 212 customers received $231,477 in assistance.

More information is available at sonomawater.org/srrp.

“Maintaining safe, reliable sewer service requires long-term planning and investment,” said Sonoma Water General Manager Grant Davis. “Holding capacity charges steady this year supports housing goals, and we’ll continue evaluating ways to ensure future charges are more proportional and aligned with the cost of growth.”

The rate adjustments are based on financial and engineering evaluations of the cost of operating and upgrading wastewater systems and complying with environmental regulations.

New rates take effect July 1, 2025. More information is available at sonomawater.org/sanitation.