Carpinteria water district sets Oct. 28 hearing on CAPP charges on bills

Carpinteria Valley Water District will hold a Proposition 218 public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in Carpinteria City Hall to take comments on collecting Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project capital charges on monthly water bills instead of the property tax roll.

A Sept. 1 district notice says the board voted Aug. 12 to issue a new Prop. 218 notice after the earlier plan to put the annual CAPP capital charge on property tax bills failed. On July 22 the board voted 3-2 for tax-roll collection, but an Aug. 7 district correction explained that Health and Safety Code sections 5471 and 5473 required a two-thirds majority—effectively 4-1—so the action did not pass. Capital charges are therefore proposed as a fixed charge on customer water bills beginning in January 2027.

District materials say the total annual CAPP capital charge amounts and previously adopted water rates are unchanged; only the collection method is shifting. On the district’s rates page, the adopted CAPP capital charge for fiscal year 2027 is $53.91 a year for a ¾-inch meter, $89.85 for 1-inch, $179.70 for 1½-inch, $287.52 for 2-inch, $628.95 for 3-inch and $1,132.12 for 4-inch. The board adopted rates and CAPP charges for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 on June 10, 2026.

CAPP is the district’s advanced purification project intended to add a locally managed drought-resilient supply. Separate CAPP operation-and-maintenance charges already appear on water bills: a volumetric rate for municipal and industrial customers and meter-based fixed charges for agricultural accounts.

The Oct. 28 hearing is at City of Carpinteria Council Chambers, 5775 Carpinteria Avenue. Agenda materials are to be posted on cvwd.net at least 72 hours beforehand. Customers with questions can call the district at (805) 684-2816.

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