The monthly base charge for a 5/8-inch East Bay Municipal Utility District water meter was US$35.48 in FY 2025, against US$19.34 in FY 2016, a rise of about 83%. The volumetric rate rose by the same proportion, from US$2.95 to US$5.41 per unit.
A customer base that barely grew
Over the same period, water accounts grew only from 382,114 to 387,992, about 1.5%. The wastewater base charge rose from US$12.57 to US$18.96, about 51%. Water revenue meanwhile rose from US$421.2 million in FY 2016 to US$751.0 million in FY 2025.
More increases already set
The Board adopted average increases of 6.5% for water and 8.5% for wastewater in each of FY 2026 and FY 2027. The median single-family water bill on a ¾-inch meter rose from US$66.30 to US$70.60 a month on July 1, 2026. In FY 2026, water revenue grew US$29 million, or 4%, as the 6.5% increase was offset by lower billed consumption.
Affordability and the courts
EBMUD's affordability measure put a low user's water bill at 1.42% of 20th-percentile household income in FY 2025, and 11,301 customers were enrolled in its assistance program at the end of FY 2026. A class action filed on October 8, 2025 challenges the tiered residential rates adopted in June 2025.
What the District's US$2.86 billion water capital plan for FY 2026–FY 2030 means for future bills, how its debt, coverage and ratings stand after the 2026 bond issues, and what supply, treatment and regulatory changes lie ahead are set out in the profile. The full report, Utility Intelligence Profile: East Bay Municipal Utility District, is available for USD 99. For a free overview, read the East Bay Municipal Utility District Utility Snapshot.