Water Availability and Cost Amid Colorado River Crisis

Utility rates will likely go up again in Long Beach with some of the water supply coming from the hotly contested Colorado River.

That water comes to Long Beach and several other cities through the Metropolitan Water District of Los Angeles, which in April voted to raise rates 6.2% at the beginning of 2027, and at that same rate increase a year later. The city of Long Beach gets about 20% of its water from the Colorado River through the MWD.

About 40 million people across the western U.S. depend on that river for water daily. A growing population and a hotter climate are driving up demand. The snowpack in the Rockies that feeds the Colorado River fell to record lows in the winter, which brought down reservoirs such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell to very low levels.

California is part of what’s called the Lower Basin States receiving water from that river, along with Arizona and Nevada. The Upper Basin States include Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

That potential water supply and rate increase factor could be felt by Long Beach residents and business owners.

The Long Beach Utilities Department increased water and sewer rates starting in October 2025. Natural gas also saw price increases in August 2025 and April 2026.

LBUD is working on increasing groundwater wells to address surging water costs and availability. The agency is equipping two new water wells at Stearns Champions Park. The city currently gets its water through a supply blend of about 60% local groundwater and 40% imported water from MWD. The local groundwater volume is expected to be increasing.

The Long Beach Utilities Commission held its first budget planning sessions to determine the Department’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget and utility rates on May 14 and May 28. The third session is coming up on June 4, with the Board of Public Utilities Commissioners expected to approve the budget later in June to start in October.

Local residents and businesses will be able to give public input on utility rates this summer.

Pursuant to Proposition 218, LBUD will host a public hearing in summer 2026 to consider public protest on any proposed increases to the city’s water and sewer rates. Hearing information will be mailed to all water and sewer account owners and posted online at least 45 days prior to the hearing date.

In November 1996, California voters approved Proposition 218, which amended the California Constitution provisions for local governments in the state as it relates to local governments, fees and charges, including for water and sewer. Proposition 218 restricts how cities can raise them by requiring public hearings and a formal protest process.

In April 2026, the Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously adopted a two-year budget that includes overall rate increases of 6.2% on Jan. 1, 2027 and Jan. 1, 2028, charged to Metropolitan’s 26 member agencies. It includes funding to rehabilitate aging infrastructure and advance planning of a major new recycled water project, ensuring the agency is able to continue delivering safe, reliable water to Southern California communities, MWD says.

It also anticipates a small increase to the voter-approved special tax Metropolitan levies on properties in its Southern California service area, amounting to an overall increase of approximately $12 a year for the average value home in the area, according to MWD.

Approvals Last Year

On June 17, 2025, the Long Beach Board of Utilities Commissioners adopted the budget for fiscal year 2026 that started October 1. The $397.4 million budget funds capital improvement projects, investments for groundwater supply augmentation, and covers expenses for scheduled maintenance and emergency repairs for 4,000 miles of main and lateral water, sewer and natural gas pipelines.

The commissioners approved for City Council consideration, a 12% increase for water rates and a 12% increase for sewer rates effective Oct. 1, 2025. The typical monthly water bill for a single-family residence was expected to increase by approximately $8.26 per month. The typical sewer bill for a single-family residence would increase by approximately $1.47 per month.

The board also recommended a 15% increase in volumetric rates effective August 2025 for natural gas, followed by an additional 12% increase in April 2026. These adjustments reflect market-based transmission costs while ensuring that Long Beach customers pay only the actual cost of natural gas, LBUD says. For a typical single-family home, this was expected to translate to an estimated monthly increase of $4.67.

On May 1, MWD issued a statement on a plan put forth by the Lower Basin states to work out strategies for reductions in water use and other actions to deal with the Colorado River’s diminishing supply. California, Arizona and Nevada are asking the Upper Basin states to work with them to find solutions.

“For this short-term plan, the reductions Southern California is taking are significant, but we can find a way to manage them. What is not manageable is continued uncertainty with this water supply, which is the foundation of water reliability throughout the Basin. We must recognize that the river is changing, and the only way we can ensure the communities, businesses and ecosystems across the Southwest have the water they need in the decades to come is by all seven states working together,” MWD general manager Shivaji Deshmukh said in the statement.

Rebecca Kimitch, a program manager for MWD, says that there’s no forecast for water rates beyond the current two-year plan that was put in place in April. This increase will allow MWD to address a backlog of critical projects to replace and refurbish its aging water treatment and delivery system, parts of which are nearly 100 years old. It will also support development of the Pure Water Southern California program, a regional water recycling program that will purify and reuse cleaned wastewater that currently flows into the ocean.

As for the Colorado River, it’s still in the works for the federal government and the states that are part of the two basins. A federal agency will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) about it, which is expected to come out in late July, Kimitch said.

Cities and utility agencies in Southern California will have to continue doing what they’ve been doing in recent years to address the diminishing water supply and the water infrastructure that needs to be refurbished, Kimitch said. That’s being done through bringing in weather-based irrigation systems for watering lawns and plants, replacing lawns with drought-adapted California native plants, groundwater recharge, water recycling, and other effective programs that have benefited from having rebate programs available to home and commercial property owners. Potable water use in this region has been decreased 40% to 45% through these efforts in the past 25 years, Kimitch said.

Stearns Park Update

A water system redevelopment project means that Long Beach is poised to get even more of its water from groundwater located under the city.

LBUD has an ongoing project to equip two new water wells at Stearns Champions Park, says Joy Contreras, public information officer for LBUD. Most of the subsurface construction has been completed as well as the rehabilitation of the community center parking lot, which is located near Lakewood Blvd. and Willow St. Construction is expected to resume later this year with project completion scheduled for mid-2027.

“We have two active production wells within the park that have experienced declining production over the years. Each existing well produces approximately 300 gallons per minute, and each new well is expected to produce 3,000 gallons per minute. Bringing these two new wells online aligns with LBUD’s strategic goal to increase groundwater production and reduce our reliance on more costly imported water,” Contreras wrote in an email.

LBUD has also received responses from qualified firms to submit proposals for strategic planning services. The agency has not yet awarded the final selection for approval by the board.

“The department’s Strategic Plan will serve as a high-level framework guiding policy direction, resource allocation and operational priorities across its Water, Gas and Sewer utilities. This effort integrates partner and collaborator engagement, performance metrics and alignment with citywide climate, equity and financial goals. The future of water supply will be part of this plan, but more detail about that will be found by our Water Resources Plan which is in current development,” Contreras wrote.

Contreras said that LBUD abides by the State Water Resources Control Board regulations and makes consistent efforts to prioritize affordability and balancing long-term water resiliency. The department  plans to issue its Water Resources Plan by the end the summer of 2026.

LBUD continues to provide utility rebates and incentives for Long Beach residents, which you can find on the agency’s website. The Household Water Assistance Program offers one-time assistance to manage water utility costs. Natural gas discount program offers a 20% discount on a monthly natural gas bill. These and other programs are available for income-qualified resident customers through its various programs.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.