Manteca now pays the lowest basic water charge in the region.

The current base charge is $33.63 for Manteca households.

That won’t be the case when proposed rates are ratcheted up in annual steps until it reaches $60.75 in 2029.

The justification for the rate hike for water as well as sewer will be explained by municipal leaders  in a live streaming event on the city’s Facebook page on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m.  Questions will be taken.

It is the first rate increase for either sewer or water in Manteca in nearly 15 years.

When the rate hike targeted to go into effect May 15 is fully implemented over the next four years, Manteca will still be paying less than half of what many cities in the region pay.

And that is before other cities impose their annual rate increases.

Manteca at full implementation of $60.75 the basic proposed water rate hike would still be lower than the current charges for:

*Stockton at $81.06.

*Lathrop at $84.31.

*Fairfield at $85.24.

*Brentwood at $92.30.

*Pleasanton at $109.08.

*Contra Costa at $123.20.

*East Bay Municipal Utility District at $126.81.

Manteca when it reaches $60.75 would then be higher than the following current base charges:

*Lodi at $41.39.

*Tracy at $42.50.

*Ripon at $52.58.

*Sacramento at $59.06.

*Modesto at $60.19.

It should be noted that assumes none of the mentioned jurisdictions between now and July 1, 2028 impose annual rate hikes.

Manteca’s water enterprise account currently collects $13 million a year from ratepayers.

That is against basic operating expenses of $19 million a year.

The cash balance on July 1 was $6.4 million.

In addition to the need to cover operating costs, there is significant capital improvement work that needs to be done to the aging infrastructure of the water system.

In addition to needing to cover basic operating costs, the existing water and sewer system has $663 million in improvements needed by 2045 to replace aging pumps and to prevent aging lines from failing among other things.

Two other community meetings are planned to explain the justification for the rate hikes. 

*Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. at the Manteca Transit Center, 220 Moffat Blvd.

*Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. at the Manteca Transit Center, 220 Moffat Blvd.

There is a March 3 deadline to submit protests.

The first hearing on the rate hike is March 18 and the second is April 15.

If 50 percent plus one of the 24,000 plus utility customers don’t indicate they are against the rate hikes in writing, the council can proceed.

The fees would be put in place May 15.

Given the high threshold, it is fairly unlikely enough written protests would be submitted to stop the rate hikes.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com