What do Yorba Linda's 2026 water and sewer rates mean for owners?

A Yorba Linda home’s water costs come from a separate public district with its own Board and appear in two places: the monthly water bill and the annual property tax bill. Yorba Linda Water District’s adopted water and sewer rates took effect on July 1, 2026.

Water usage and the monthly meter charge appear on the water bill. The Annual Capital Finance Charge appears on the property tax bill. Buyers should review both documents when planning ownership costs, and sellers can have both ready to explain the charges.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Who sets the rates for your address?

The Yorba Linda Water District Board sets these water and sewer rates, not the City Council.

The water district is a separate public agency, independent of city and county governments. It serves Yorba Linda and portions of Placentia, Brea, Anaheim and unincorporated Orange County. Confirm the water provider for the address before applying this schedule to a property.

For account or rate questions, the published telephone number is 714-701-3000. The mailing address is PO Box 309, Yorba Linda CA 92885-0309. Rate study questions can go to [email protected].

Use the provider’s documents when checking an expense listed in a buyer’s budget or a seller’s records. The city name alone does not identify the applicable meter charge or sewer billing arrangement.

Which 2026 rates were actually adopted?

The Board adopted the first year of water and sewer adjustments on April 9, 2026. Both took effect on July 1, 2026.

The decisions were a 3-2 vote on water and a 5-0 vote on sewer. Resolution No. 2026-03 establishes the water rates, and Resolution No. 2026-04 establishes the sewer rates.

The rate study was prepared by independent consultant Water Resources Economics and received and filed by the Board on January 22, 2026. A Proposition 218 notice was mailed to customers of record and parcel owners on February 6, 2026.

The resolutions state that timely written protests were not presented by a majority of parcel owners. The rate study FAQ explains that valid written protests from a majority of affected parcels would prevent adoption. It identifies March 23, 2026, as the deadline for a legal objection to preserve the right to challenge in court.

Those process dates are separate from the July 1 effective date used to identify the adopted charges.

What goes on the monthly water bill?

The monthly water bill includes a usage charge of $4.24 per 100 cubic feet and a fixed service charge based on meter size.

One hundred cubic feet is one ccf, equal to 748 gallons. The adopted usage rate applies to all water usage. The listed monthly service charges are:

Larger meters have additional listed rates. Check the property’s actual meter size against the water rates page instead of selecting a charge based on the home’s size.

A seller’s statement can show the account’s usage and meter charge. It does not establish how much water a buyer will use.

For usage planning, use the Bill Estimator Tool on the 2026 rate study page. Keep the separate property tax charge beside that estimate when reviewing water costs.

Which water charge goes on property taxes?

The Annual Capital Finance Charge is collected on the property owner’s annual property tax bill.

Reviewing only monthly utility statements can leave this charge out of an ownership budget. The adopted annual amounts are:

The water rates page says these charges cover annual principal and interest payments on existing loans or bonds and partially fund ongoing capital improvement projects. The water resolution provides for collection on the County of Orange property tax roll.

Keep this charge distinct when reviewing supplemental property tax bills or Mello-Roos. Check the documents for each charge rather than treating every property tax item as part of the monthly water expense.

A Yorba Linda homeowner asked us why his projected housing costs kept increasing even though his mortgage payment was fixed. When we reviewed the household expenses, the 2026 water and sewer rates were part of the difference. We went through the rate structure with him because utility costs can change independently of the loan and property-tax payment.

How do sewer charges reach the owner?

Sewer billing depends on the property’s service and billing arrangement. The charge may appear on the water bill or the property tax roll.

Under the adopted sewer resolution, residential individually metered service costs $15.56 per month. Residential master metered service costs $14.15 per month per unit.

The sewer rates page says all single-family homes with sewers previously administered by the City of Yorba Linda are charged monthly on the water bill. The multi-family Sewer Maintenance Charge is collected on the property tax roll, continuing the City’s previous collection method.

For commercial-industrial properties and public schools, the monthly charge covers the first 600 cubic feet per month, followed by $1.33 per 100 cubic feet. Landscaping customers have no sewer rate charge because sewer runoff is captured by the storm drain system.

Check the property’s sewer category and collection method against the water statement and property tax bill.

Are the future rates already settled?

The listed FY28 through FY31 amounts are maximum proposed rates, subject to annual Board approval.

The rate study page distinguishes the adopted first year from subsequent adjustments that would be proposed for July 1 of each year through 2031. The water rates page lists these maximum proposed amounts:

Maximum proposed single-family sewer charges are $17.04 for 2027, $18.66 for 2028, $20.44 for 2029 and $22.39 for 2030.

Label those figures as maximum proposed amounts in a buyer worksheet or seller explanation. Before treating a future amount as an adopted expense, check the applicable annual Board approval.

The same distinction between proposed and adopted charges matters when reviewing Barstow’s proposed water rates. A published future schedule should retain its approval conditions wherever the figures are used.

What does the Well 23 announcement tell you?

Yorba Linda Water District’s September 23, 2026, announcement describes a groundwater project advancing toward design.

The announcement reports an August 27 project agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project has secured $1.1 million in federal funding.

Well 23 would become the water district’s 11th groundwater well, at the Warner Basin site in Anaheim. Its stated purpose is to help reduce reliance on imported water supplies. The agreement marks a step toward advancing design, and the announcement gives no completion date.

This provides local infrastructure context. The announcement does not establish that Well 23 caused the adopted rate adjustments or that the new rates fund the project.

The short version

Review the adopted monthly charges, the separate property tax charges and the approval status of future rates.

Confirm the provider and meter size, then read the water statement alongside the property tax bill. Check how sewer service is billed. Use Yorba Linda Water District’s Bill Estimator Tool for usage planning, and keep future maximum proposed amounts clearly labeled until the applicable annual approval.

If you’re preparing to sell, start your pricing review with the home value tool.