The cost of living keeps going up, and families across California are feeling the squeeze. We see it firsthand in the South Bay, where too many people have to make tough choices about which bills to pay. Water is not a luxury — it’s a basic necessity — and at Sweetwater Authority, we believe no one should have to struggle to keep it flowing.
That’s why the governing board took action! Last year, knowing that many families are behind on their bills, Sweetwater Authority launched its Low-Income Customer Assistance Program to help families who need it most. Eligible customers can get up to $120 in credits toward their water bill over six bill cycles.
It’s not a one-time fix — it’s support for those struggling to pay our rates, which are already among the lowest in the county. Since being launched last fall, the program has already been a lifeline to over 700 customers.
Multiple local water districts do provide one-time emergency aid through the federally funded Low Income Household Water Assistance Program; however, our program is different — it offers ongoing assistance to our customers. Sweetwater Authority is proud to be one of the few water districts in California offering real, ongoing financial assistance — we expect to assist up to 4,000 customers through this program.
The cost of providing water keeps going up in our region. Recently, the San Diego County Water Authority announced an unprecedented 14% rate hike on imported water, which makes up a portion of what we supply to our Sweetwater Authority customers.
Cost increases like these are happening year-after-year, and while infrastructure improvement costs are necessary in order to provide clean, safe, and reliable water, we also need to make sure every dollar is being spent wisely.
This is especially important because the people we serve in Chula Vista, National City, and Bonita include some of the lowest-income households in San Diego County. In fact, National City’s median household income is around $64,248 a year, less than half the county median of $134,639. Families are already stretching every dollar — so if we can help take a little pressure off, we should.
That’s why it’s also critical that we work with the San Diego County Water Authority to ensure efficiency and rein in administrative costs that are within its control. We are focused on making sure ratepayers in our community aren’t paying more than their fair share. Every agency involved in providing water — from the wholesalers to the local districts — has a responsibility to keep costs in check while maintaining reliable service.
We recently traveled to Sacramento to meet with state lawmakers, and they were eager to hear about our program. It’s clear that affordability is on their minds, too. They know that water rates are rising across the state, and they want solutions.
Sweetwater Authority is proving that affordability programs work. But we also need to take a hard look at rising water costs and do everything we can to keep them from climbing even higher. Water is too important for anyone to go without. Let’s make sure everyone can afford this essential service.
Manny Delgado, chair of Sweetwater Authority, and Steve Castaneda, president of South Bay Water, are governing board members of Sweetwater Authority and South Bay Water. Castaneda also represents South Bay Water on the San Diego County Water Authority board.
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