El Cerrito water and sewer rates
Who supplies water to El Cerrito houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
EBMUD rates effective July 1, 2026: a $28.60 monthly service charge for a 5/8 or 3/4 inch meter ($57.20 on a bimonthly bill) plus $8.40 per unit (CCF) for the first 7 units a month, $9.74 from 7 to 16 units and $11.49 above 16 units. Homes in Elevation Bands 2 and 3 pay an elevation surcharge of $1.33 or $2.84 per unit
| Use a month | Price per unit (CCF, 748 gallons) |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $28.60 a month |
| 0 to 7 units | $8.40 |
| 7 to 16 units | $9.74 |
| 16 to more | $11.49 |
- Source
- EBMUD's main supply is snow and rain in the Mokelumne River watershed in the Sierra Nevada, carried 90 miles by aqueduct to East Bay treatment plants and reservoirs.
- Lead
- EBMUD says its treatment plants supply no lead; in its tap sampling, 0 of 53 sites were above the lead action level.
- PFAS
- EBMUD has finished its initial PFAS monitoring under the new rules, and all results so far have met the standards.
Sewer
EBMUD treats El Cerrito's wastewater. Its single-family charges from July 1, 2026 are a $10.94 monthly service charge, an $11.38 strength charge and a $0.20 San Francisco Bay pollution prevention fee, plus $1.97 per unit of water up to 9 units a month. Stege Sanitary District, which collects the sewage, charges a single-family home $443 a year for 2026-27 on the property tax bill.
Ways to pay less
- Low-income households: EBMUD Customer Assistance Program. Eligible single-family customers can get 50% off the standard bimonthly water service charge and 50% off home water use (up to 1,050 gallons per person a month), plus 35% off EBMUD wastewater service and flow charges. A household of 1-2 qualifies with income of $67,900 or less. Enrollment lasts up to two years. How: Apply online through EBMUD's CAP application.
- EBMUD lawn conversion rebate. EBMUD pays up to $2.00 per square foot to convert a lawn to a water-wise garden; landscape rebates for a home are capped at $2,000 in any 24-month period. How: Apply through EBMUD's rebates page.
- No-interest loan to replace your sewer lateral. Stege Sanitary District's Private Sewer Lateral Replacement Loan Program offers a no-interest deferred payment loan of up to $30,000 to replace private sewer laterals, first-come, first-served while funds last. How: Contact Stege Sanitary District: (510) 524-4667.
Pay or manage it
Sources
- EBMUD 2025 Annual Water Quality Report
- Stege Sanitary District: sewer service charge
- EBMUD Schedule A: water rates effective July 1, 2026
- EBMUD schedules of rates and charges FY 2027 (water and wastewater)
- EBMUD wastewater rates and charges
- Stege Sanitary District Ordinance 2239-0624 (sewer service charges FY 2024-25 to 2028-29)
- City of El Cerrito: Measure J storm drain
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.