The rates will go to the council for approval before being enacted Oct. 1.
“While the costs of providing water continue to rise each year, one of our primary objectives is to minimize the impact of these cost increases to our customers, and we feel that we have achieved that with this year’s adopted budget,” said Suzanne Dallman, president of the board.
In the next fiscal year, the Water Department must absorb a 7 percent increase in imported water rates and a 19 percent increase in groundwater pumping charges, water officials said. Even so, Long Beach’s rates will stay below the Los Angeles County average and the rates of many other large California cities, including Sacramento, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, officials said.
The estimated average monthly water and sewer bill for a typical single-family residence in Long Beach that uses about 9,000 gallons of water each month will be $64.25, water officials said.
Although the board’s decision will keep water rates steady over a two-year period, the board had raised rates in 2008 by 15.8 percent and in 2009 by 17 percent.
Water Department General Manager Kevin Wattier said that after water conservation efforts have reduced water usage, it has begun to level off. Unfortunately, that reduction had also made revenues shrink, which in part was to blame for rate hikes in years past, he said.
“It is frustrating, but that’s the reality,” Wattier said. “When your revenue goes down, you have to raise your rates.”
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