Rates and Cost Context

Current Rate Structure

Camarillo’s wastewater rates are part of a four-year rate structure approved by the City Council. Detailed information about current rates and the approved structure is available on the City’s rates page.

Visit City of Camarillo Rates Page
Visit City of Camarillo Rates Page

How This Project Fits In

The Camarillo One Water Project is being studied specifically to identify the most affordable path forward for the wastewater system upgrade. The current four-year rate structure was designed to support the City’s existing infrastructure obligations. The alternatives analysis focuses on identifying an approach that delivers the required upgrade within the already-approved framework.

What Is Known and What Is Still Being Studied

What is known:

The wastewater system needs significant reinvestment to keep reliable service for the long term.
Jacobs has been engaged as Owner Advisor through a competitive procurement process to evaluate alternatives.
Water reuse is the primary approach being studied, and this opens access to substantial grant funding opportunities.
Affordability is the defining constraint guiding the work.

What is still being studied:

The full scope of the upgrade. The alternatives analysis will identify the recommended approach. The full scope is not yet known and will not be known until Jacobs completes its work.
The total project cost. Cost ranges will be given as the alternatives analysis progresses and figures are confirmed. The City has chosen to wait until figures are reliable rather than share speculative numbers that could change significantly.
The final timing of design and construction. Once a preferred alternative is selected, the timing for design and construction will become clearer.

Funding Strategy

The City is actively pursuing grant funding to help offset project costs and reduce long-term ratepayer impact. The water reuse approach significantly expands grant eligibility, including federal WIFIA financing and Metropolitan Water District Local Resource Planning grants. Grant funding is an important part of the City’s affordability approach and will continue to be pursued as the project develops.

Our Approach to Cost Communication

The City is committed to sharing cost information honestly and only when it is confirmed. Specific cost figures will be shared as ranges, tied to alternatives analysis milestones, and paired with the long-term context that frames any rate impact. This is not a project where speculative numbers serve the community – the alternatives analysis is being conducted specifically to answer those questions responsibly.