Santa Barbara water and sewer rates
Who supplies water to Santa Barbara houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.
City of Santa Barbara Water
Monthly service charge for a 5/8-inch meter plus three single-family tiers per HCF, effective July 1, 2026.
| Use a month | Price per unit (CCF, 748 gallons) |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $44.01 a month |
| 0 to 4 units | $6.67 |
| 4 to 16 units | $18.61 |
| 16 to more | $42.42 |
- Source
- Most of the City's drinking water comes from Lake Cachuma, Gibraltar Reservoir, and the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant.
- Lead
- The City's water system does not contain any lead water mains or City-owned service lines.
- PFAS
- The City sampled 13 sources for PFAS; the results showed that for all sources, PFAS was not detected.
Sewer
Single-family wastewater charge from July 1, 2026: a fixed $35.85 a month plus $5.43 per HCF of water used, up to a cap of 8 HCF.
Ways to pay less
- Lawn replacement rebate. The City's rebate is $2 per square foot of lawn replaced, or $5 per square foot if you replace your lawn with a rain garden. How: See the City's lawn replacement rebate page.
Sources
- FY25-28_Water_Rate_Notice.pdf
- 2026_Water_Quality_Report_CCR.pdf
- FY27_Sewer_Rate_Fee_Schedule.pdf
- FY27_Water_Rate_Fee_Schedule.pdf
Checked October 22, 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.