What is this about?
The Goleta Sanitary District (GSD) collects fees from different kinds of users: residents, agencies, and businesses in our service area to cover the costs of collecting, treating and reusing resources from wastewater. These fees are used to pay for ongoing maintenance and repairs to our existing facilities and equipment, and to pay for improvements. Over the last several years, GSD has implemented a number of innovative cost-saving measures to keep rates low. Unfortunately, costs are outpacing revenues, and adjustments to our rates are needed.
We are mandated by law to charge only the amount required to provide services. The District has not changed our rates since 2019, so an updated rate and fee study was necessary. We hired a local firm to collect data to ensure that the different types of users are charged an amount equivalent to their usage. The rate study results are the basis for the proposed fees to be charged, with some adjustments occuring to ensure fairness and equitablility. Rate adjustments help fund our operations which include: maintenance and repair of sewer pipes, the treatment plant, and planning for the future reliability of infrastructure. Below is the Rate and Fee Study.
The chart below shows the District's current and proposed rates in comparison to other local wastewater treatment providers.
GSD's proposed rate is still below the others!
The proposed rates are needed to keep revenues aligned with long-term funding needs, including:
- Funding $73.4 million in treatment plant and collection system capital improvement projects over the next ten years, including vital infrastructure projects such as the biosolids and energy project, an energy storage project which reduces long-term costs of purchased power, a biosolids handling improvement project, increased biogas utilization project, and other long-term annual repair and replacement capital projects of approximately $3 million per year;
- Funding inflationary increases in operating and maintenance costs, including, but not limited to, price increases of power, chemicals, specialized services and equipment, construction, staffing, and other costs; and
- Funding the ongoing annual operations and maintenance costs, debt service obligations, and reserve funding ensuring financial and operational stability now and in the future.
Read more in the Full Rate and Fee Study,
Why and Why Now?
GSD last adjusted rates in 2019. To ensure that future rate adjustments are equitable and fair, the District participated in a state-wide wastewater sampling survey. The survey has provided new data which allows us to set appropriate user fees. A local firm specializing in rate studies was hired in 2025 to assist in developing an updated rate structure based on the new wastewater data.
THE BASIS OF THE PROPOSED SEWER SERVICE CHARGES
The District imposes sewer service charges through four customer classes: (1) single family residential (“SFR”), (2) multi-family residential (“MFR”), (3) schools, and (4) commercial customers. SFR and MFR customer classes pay a fixed annual charge per unit. MFR customers are billed per the number of dwelling units on the parcel. Schools are billed based on the average daily attendance (“ADA”). Finally, commercial customer classes are charged per equivalent residential unit (“ERU”). An ERU is based on the flow generation and estimated strength of the wastewater relative to the SFR customer class, therefore one ERU is equivalent to one SFR. The flow per ERU is defined as 150 gallons per day (“gpd”) and strength of 387 and 476 mg/L respectively for BOD and TSS.* Commercial customers are assigned rates based upon each customer’s flow generation (e.g., the amount of water use for the parcel) and estimated strength of the wastewater discharged into the system based on the type of commercial use. Commercial customers will be charged for no less than 75 gpd at their applicable rate, regardless of water use. The District proposes to continue including sewer service charges on the annual property tax rolls. The following table shows the maximum sewer service charges for all customer classes to be adopted for the next five fiscal years. *BOD is the biochemical oxygen demand and TSS is the total suspended solids associated with determining the strength of the wastewater prior to treatment.
The study demonstrates that the proposed maximum rates do not exceed the proportional cost of service on a parcel basis. Here is the full Rate and Fee Study,
See the proposed rate adjustments and increases below for current rates by category and proposed for Fiscal Years 2026-2027 to 2030-2031
What are the next steps?
The final results of the rate study were considered by the Governing Board on March 23, 2026. The proposed rate changes will be discussed at a Proposition 218 public hearing on June 1, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the District Board Meeting Room at our headquarters at 1 William Moffet Place, Goleta , CA 93117.
You have an opportunity to get involved. You may wish to provide input to the District Board of Directors, and may do so at the formal public hearing taking place
Monday, June 1, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
District Board Meeting Room
1 William Moffett Place, Goleta, CA 93117
At the hearing you have the opportunity to provide oral or written testimony to the Board of Directors, and may also submit a written protest. An oral protest alone will not count as a written protest, unless accompanied by a written protest. The District Board of Directors will consider all oral and written testimony and timely written protests, and determine whether a majority protest exists prior to deliberating on the proposed rate adjustments.
To Submit a Written Protest:
In addition to, or instead of, participating in the public hearing, any record owner of a parcel upon which the sewer service charges are proposed to be imposed and any tenant directly liable for the payment of sewer service charges (i.e., a customer of record who is not a property owner) may submit a written protest to the proposed rate adjustments and increases to the District’s sewer service charges; however, only one protest will be counted per identified parcel. To be valid, a written protest must: (1) state that the identified property owner or tenant is opposed to the proposed sewer service charge adjustments; (2) provide the location of the identified parcel (by street address or assessor’s parcel number); and (3) include the name and signature of the property owner or tenant submitting the protest. Written protests may be submitted to the Secretary of the Board by mail or in person at 1 William Moffett Place, Goleta, CA 93117, or during the public hearing (date, time, and location noted above).
The Secretary of the Board must receive written protests delivered by mail no later than 5:00 p.m. on the date of the public hearing. If submitted during the public hearing, the written protest must be received prior to the close of the public testimony portion of the public hearing. Any protest submitted via e-mail or other electronic means will not be accepted as a valid written protest. Please indicate on the outside of any envelope mailed to the District Attn: Utility Rates Protest.
A majority protest against the proposed sewer service charge adjustments will exist if at the end of the public hearing there are written protests submitted and not withdrawn that represent a majority of the parcels (50% +1) that receive sewer service. The District cannot adopt the proposed rate adjustments if a majority protest exists.
The public hearing notice is linked below,
¿De qué se trata esto?
El Distrito Sanitario de Goleta (GSD) cobra tarifas a diferentes tipos de usuarios: residentes, agencias y negocios en nuestra área de servicio para cubrir los costos de recolectar, tratar y reutilizar los recursos del agua residual. Estas tarifas se usan para pagar el mantenimiento y las reparaciones de nuestras instalaciones y equipos, y para pagar mejoras. Durante los últimos años, GSD ha implementado varias medidas innovadoras para ahorrar costos y mantener las tarifas bajas. Desafortunadamente, los costos están aumentando más rápido que los ingresos, y es necesario ajustar las tarifas.
¿Por qué y por qué ahora?
GSD ajustó las tarifas por última vez en 2019. Para asegurar que los futuros ajustes de tarifas sean justos y equitativos, el Distrito participó en una encuesta estatal de muestreo de aguas residuales. La encuesta proporcionó nuevos datos que nos permiten establecer tarifas apropiadas para los usuarios. En 2025 se contrató a una empresa local especializada en estudios de tarifas para ayudar a desarrollar una estructura de tarifas actualizada basada en los nuevos datos de aguas residuales.
¿Cuáles son los próximos pasos?
Los resultados finales del estudio de tarifas serán considerados por la Junta Directiva en marzo. Después, los cambios de tarifas propuestos se discutirán en una audiencia pública de la Proposición 218 en mayo. Antes de la reunión se enviará un aviso formal con información sobre la audiencia pública y los cambios de tarifas propuestos.
General Information on Rate and Fee Study
- Background- You may have seen an informational flyer or newsletters regarding the District rates and our participation in a rate and fee study. The study ensures that we have current and proper data to match rates and fees to their fair and correct allocations from the various users in our area.
- The District collects fees from different kinds of users: residents, industries, businesses in our service area to pay for ongoing maintenance and repairs to our facilities and to ensure we can protect public health and the environment now and into the future. We schedule and make plans for needed upgrades and mandated regulatory changes to our processes, investing in these projects now helps to keep operational costs down in the future.
- The District has not had a rate change since 2019. We have had the same rates due to careful efficiency improvements and cost-saving measures taken over the last seven years, while costs have continued to rise.
- The upcoming report on rate and fee alignments will be on the website as soon as it is available for public review. The proposed rate for a single-family residence, the most common type of user in our District, will potentially rise by .06 cents a day, that’s only $1.77 a month. Rates at many other agencies in Santa Barbara County have been experiencing double-digit percentage increases over the last five years. As we shared in our Summer 2024 newsletter, our rates are 43% lower than the average of rates in the County.
- Years of diligent management and financially prudent decision making have strategically and favorably positioned the District to propose this very modest increase, AND allows us to continue investing in innovative energy-saving projects with cost-saving measures. This will help us keep any future rate changes that may be needed, (due to cost increases, or mandated regulatory requirements) low going forward.
- The District is a state-recognized, award winning, well-run agency. We have been awarded the highest honor by the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) for transparency, leadership in governance, operations, and prudent fiscal management in policies and practices three times, the most recent being in 2025. For more information about this Platinum District of Distinction award, visit https://goletasanitary.org/organizational-excellence/district-of-distinction.
Información general para la actualización sobre el estudio de tarifas y cargos
- Antecedentes: Es posible que haya visto un folleto informativo o boletines sobre las tarifas del Distrito y nuestra participación en un estudio de tarifas y cargos. Este estudio garantiza que contemos con datos actuales y adecuados para ajustar las tarifas y cargos de manera justa y correcta entre los distintos usuarios de nuestra área.
- El Distrito recauda tarifas de diferentes tipos de usuarios: residentes, industrias y negocios dentro de nuestra área de servicio, para cubrir el mantenimiento continuo y las reparaciones de nuestras instalaciones, y para asegurar la protección de la salud pública y el medio ambiente ahora y en el futuro. Planificamos y programamos mejoras necesarias y cambios regulatorios obligatorios en nuestros procesos; invertir en estos proyectos ahora ayuda a mantener bajos los costos operativos en el futuro.
- El Distrito no ha tenido cambios en las tarifas desde 2019. Hemos mantenido las mismas tarifas gracias a mejoras en eficiencia y medidas de ahorro implementadas durante los últimos siete años, mientras que los costos han seguido aumentando.
- El próximo informe sobre la alineación de tarifas y cargos estará disponible en el sitio web tan pronto como esté listo para revisión pública. La tarifa propuesta para una vivienda unifamiliar, el tipo de usuario más común en nuestro Distrito, podría aumentar en 0.06 centavos por día, lo que equivale a solo $1.77 al mes. Las tarifas de muchas otras agencias en el condado de Santa Bárbara han experimentado aumentos de dos dígitos en los últimos cinco años. Como compartimos en nuestro boletín del verano de 2024, nuestras tarifas son un 43% más bajas que el promedio del condado.
- Años de gestión diligente y decisiones financieras prudentes han posicionado estratégicamente al Distrito para proponer este aumento muy modesto, y nos permiten seguir invirtiendo en proyectos innovadores de ahorro de energía con medidas que reducen costos. Esto ayudará a mantener bajos los futuros ajustes de tarifas que puedan ser necesarios debido al aumento de costos o requisitos regulatorios obligatorios.
- El Distrito es una agencia reconocida por el estado, premiada y bien administrada. Hemos recibido el máximo honor de la Asociación de Distritos Especiales de California (CSDA) por transparencia, liderazgo en gobernanza, operaciones y gestión fiscal prudente en políticas y prácticas en tres ocasiones, siendo la más reciente en 2025. Para más información sobre el premio “Distrito de Distinción Platino”, visite: https://goletasanitary.org/organizational-excellence/district-of-distinction.