DowneyWhat a house pays

Downey water and sewer rates

Who supplies water to Downey houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.

City of Downey Water

City of Downey: bills every two months; the City's water rate calculator uses the January 2026 rates.

Use a monthPrice per unit (CCF, 748 gallons)
Fixed charge$14.52 a month
0 to 7.5 units$2.46
7.5 to 15 units$2.64
15 to 35 units$2.81
35 to more$3.83
Source
Groundwater wells pumping from the Central Groundwater Basin provide 100 percent of the City's domestic water supply.
PFAS
In 2025 testing, PFOS had a highest quarterly running annual average of 28 ppt (range 13-42 ppt) and PFOA 11.7 ppt (range 3.9-15 ppt).
Lead
In 2023 the 90th-percentile lead result was 2.8 ppb, with 0 of 53 sites above the action level; an October 2024 inventory found no lead service lines.
Violations
The state found the City did not complete some required source-water monitoring in the 2020-2022 and 2023-2025 compliance periods; the City says it was not an emergency.

Sewer

LA County Sanitation District No. 2 wastewater service charge, collected on the property tax roll: $232 per single-family home for 2026-27 ($19.33 a month).

Ways to pay less

  • Low-income seniors over 62: Safe, Clean Water parcel tax exemption. Owners over 62 who live in the home and head a low-income household can apply for an exemption from the Safe, Clean Water Program special parcel tax; the FY 2027-28 limit is $106,600 for a 2-person household. How: Submit the claim form to the Safe, Clean Water Program by May 1 each year; call 833-275-7297.
  • Low water use: reduced sewer charge. Parcels with significantly lower water usage may be eligible for a reduced rate under the Master Service Charge Ordinance of County Sanitation District No. 2. How: See the reduced-rate terms of County Sanitation District No. 2's Master Service Charge Ordinance.

Pay or manage it

Sources

  1. City of Downey water rates site
  2. City of Downey 2025 water quality report
  3. City of Downey water rates calculator
  4. Raftelis: City of Downey water rate adoption
  5. City of Downey Proposition 218 notice: proposed water rates (November 2025)
  6. City of Downey cost of service and water rate study (Raftelis)
  7. Metropolitan Water District Resolution 9397 (FY 2026/27 tax rate)
  8. LA County Safe Clean Water tax layer: median Downey single-family tax
  9. LA County Public Works Safe Clean Water tax layer description
  10. Safe, Clean Water Program: FY 2027-28 low-income senior exemption form
  11. Safe, Clean Water Program: tax appeal procedures and guidelines
  12. Metropolitan Water District FY 2026/27 water standby charge resolution

Checked October 21, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.

Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.