Inglewood residents will see an increase in their water and sewage bills over the next three to four years after the city council voted Tuesday to raise utility rates.
The vote raises water costs starting in January 2026 and each year through 2029. The sewage hikes would increase through 2030.
Here’s what that means for you:
Most homeowners will see about a 10% increase in cost in 2026 and 35% increase over three years. Residents paid on average $18.37 a month at the time of the vote, which will increase to $20.74 by the end of 2026 and rise to $24.93 in 2029 — though the increase in cost varies depending on how much water is used and the size of a home’s water meter.
For wastewater services, customers who are used to paying a monthly $7.50 per residential unit will see an increase to $8.62 by the end of 2026 and to $10.96 in 2030.
What the city is saying:
Four council members voted in favor of the utility increase. Council member Gloria Gray, who was not present, is the president of the West Basin Municipal Water District, where the city receives most of its water.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts said inflation and needed repairs have driven up costs, which the city has covered over the last decade using water fund reserves after the last increase in rates in 2023.
“We do the best we can to keep rates stable for residents,” Butts said after the meeting. “People get spoiled because we keep things as low as we can. We run the city so effectively.”
What the community is saying:
Miya Walker, an activist and 2022 mayoral candidate, rallied community members to protest the rate increase with written forms. She said the increases are yet another example of residents being priced out of the city they call home.
“This deferred maintenance is part of poor planning,” Walker said. “Residents and homeowners are always on the hook. We are taxed out.”
So many residents and workers hoping to weigh in on projects in the city packed the chambers to the point that an overflow room was used where people viewed a livestream on a television.
Pathum Gamage was among those venting their frustration about the costs as people provided public comment in the chambers upstairs. Working at nearby Los Angeles International Airport, he rented in Inglewood for six years before deciding to buy a house in early 2025. He loves his home but not the increasing price tag for utilities.
“We’re already paying enough,” Gamage said.
Tony Olmos, director of the Inglewood Public Works Department, said the cost increases mirror inflation downstream from water users, which includes a 12% increase per acre-foot of both imported and recycled water from the West Basin Municipal Water District. Olmos also said that aging infrastructure will lead to more water and sewage line breaks, deteriorating roads with pot holes and service outages.
