Water
Adjustments to Water Rates
The City of Paso Robles will gradually phase in water rate adjustments over the next five years to support water system operating and maintenance expenses, fund the City’s share of debt service for the Nacimiento Water Project, and provide funding for capital improvements needed to support safe and reliable service. The City’s water utility is a self‐supporting enterprise that relies primarily on service charge revenues to meet annual funding needs. As such, water rates need to be set at levels adequate to fund the costs of providing service.
The City’s water bills for a typical home are currently in the lower‐middle range based on a survey of 18 regional agencies. With the proposed rate increases, typical residential water bills are projected to remain in the middle range. More information on new water rates is available in the notice that was sent to property owners and City water customers prior to the Public Hearing and adoption of the new water rates. (see the Notice of Public Hearing for Water Rate Adjustments PDF).
Property owners of record and customers liable for payment of water rates were provided with a notice of the proposed changes to water rates which included instructions for submitting a written protest against the proposed rates. Written protests were required to: a) identify the affected property or properties by Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) or address, b) include the name and original signature of the customer or property owner submitting the protest and c) indicate opposition to the proposed water rates.
The City held a public hearing on the proposed water rate increases on December 20, 2022, according to information in the Public Notice. Adjustments to water rates will become effective in April of 2023.
Read the Notice of Public Hearing for Water Rate Adjustments (PDF)
Water Conservation
The City continues to implement water use restrictions as required by the State of California. Find out more about Paso Robles Water Conservation efforts.
About the Division
The City water system serves approximately 9,200 residential, 800 commercial, and 400 irrigation customers within the City of Paso Robles. The Paso Robles Water Division (PRWD) is committed to providing customers with a reliable high quality water supply. There are 14 full-time staff to operate and maintain:
- 19 wells
- Two arsenic removal treatment systems
- One micro-filtration water treatment plant
- Six booster stations (used to pump to higher elevations)
- Four reservoirs (providing over 12 million gallons of storage)
- 172 miles of water main
To ensure water quality is continuously maintained, PRWD adheres to a rigorous sampling and laboratory-analyses program in accordance with state and federal drinking water laws.
Responsibilities
PRWD maintains the distribution system, fixes leaks, installs customer connections, and fire hydrants. The crew works closely with contractors to monitor and enforce the City’s specifications for water system construction, performs plan checks for new developments and inspects installations.
Other responsibilities include monitoring and enforcing the City’s cross-connection program. A cross-connection is a connection to any part of the public water system containing water or any substance that is not or cannot be approved as safe, wholesome, and potable for human consumption. Currently, the City requires backflow devices to be placed on all commercial and irrigation meters to protect the City’s water supply from possible contamination. The State requires testing of all backflow devices on an annual basis. The County of San Luis Obispo assists the City in this program by sending out test forms to owners and the City enforces testing requirements to ensure that all devices are tested annually.
Fees
For information on connection fees, visit the Building Division's Development Fees page. For monthly fees, see the Administrative Services Utilities and Billing page.