San Clemente residents can expect wastewater sewage rates to rise by 30 percent over the next five years after the San Clemente City Council voted 4–1 July 18 in favor of the rate hikes, with Mayor Pro Tem Steve Knoblock abstaining.
Such rates will increase by 9.5 percent as soon as October.
Going forward, rates will rise by 6 percent in 2024, 5 percent in both 2025 and 2026, and 4.5 percent in 2027.
The council made its decision after the city performed a rate study. Rates in the city, according to officials, haven’t been raised in six years.
The study found that costs to operate the wastewater system would rise over the next three years, and the city would need additional funds to operate it sufficiently….