Storms filled California reservoirs. So why are water bills spiking? - San Francisco Chronicle

Storms filled California reservoirs. So why are water bills spiking?

Water rates are going up in much of the Bay Area, despite the recent storms.
LiPo Ching/Special to The Chronicle 2020

All that rain and snow captured in California’s reservoirs this year means plenty of water to go around. But it isn’t doing anything to reduce your household water bill.

The Bay Area’s largest water suppliers, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, are planning new rate hikes for water and sewer service, starting this summer. Many of these increases will be the biggest in years.

Kurtis Alexander is an enterprise reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, with a focus on natural resources and the environment. He frequently writes about water, wildfire, climate and the American West. His recent work has examined the impacts of drought, threats to public lands and wildlife, and the nation’s widening rural-urban divide.

Before joining the Chronicle, Alexander worked as a freelance writer and as a staff reporter for several media organizations, including The Fresno Bee and Bay Area News Group, writing about government, politics and the environment.