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2026-2031 CSA 71 Proposed Sewer Rate Increase

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The 2026-2031 Proposed Sewer Rate Increase for the various CSA-71 areas is primarily due to the recent City of Bakersfield sewer rate increase that was passed by their City Council on May 27, 2026.

The City of Bakersfield charges the CSA-71 customers for wholesale sewer service conveyance and treatment. The County is proposing to pass-through the cost of sewer from the City of Bakersfield. Additional cost increases are based on the CSA’s projected cost escalations, including general and construction cost inflation.

The table below shows the appropriate CSA 71 area for your property, as listed in the associated Notice of Public Hearing and Engineer's Report:

CSA 71	CSA 71.1	CSA 71.2	CSA 71.3
Notice for Public Hearing for CSA 71	Notice for Public Hearing for CSA 71.1	Notice for Public Hearing for CSA 71.2	Notice for Public Hearing for CSA 71.3
CSA 71 Engineer's Report	CSA 71.1 Engineer's Report	CSA 71.2 Engineer's Report	CSA 71.3 Engineer's Report

For all CSA 71 areas, please refer to Exhibit B in the City of Bakersfield 2026-2030 Sewer Rates Fees Report.

For any questions or concerns regarding the proposed sewer rate increase, please contact Kyle Perez at perezky@kerncounty.com or 661-862-8852.

Public Information Meeting

A public information meeting on the proposed sewer rate increase will take place on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Public Services Building’s Public Meeting Room on the 1^st Floor at 2700 M Street, Bakersfield, 93301.

Protests and Legal Objections

If you wish to protest the proposal, you must submit a written protest before the conclusion of the public hearing on July 28, 2026.

For a written protest to be considered valid it must include:

The identity of the parcel represented by the protest;
The name and address of the protestant;
A statement illustrating the protestant’s legal relationship to the parcel; and,
A signed statement containing an original signature, indicating that the writing is to be considered a written protest on behalf of the parcel.

Written protests may be mailed or hand delivered to the Kern County Clerk of Board 1115 Truxtun Avenue, 5th Floor, Bakersfield, California 93301. Protests received after the conclusion of the public hearing will not be considered.

Pursuant to Government Code section 53759.1, property owners may submit a written legal objection to the proposed sewer rates. To be considered sufficient, a legal objection must include a description of the nature of the legal objection with sufficient specificity to allow the CSA to respond in writing. Failure to timely submit a written legal objection by July 25, 2026 (45 days from the date of mailing, June 10, 2026) will bar any right to challenge the proposed sewer rates through a legal proceeding.

Additional Resources

Kern County Board of Supervisor’s Meeting to Approve the Sending of Notices: June 9, 2026 - Regular Meeting PM as Agenda Items 8-11.

For additional information for County-related sewer, including CSA-71 sewer areas, visit Sewer Information.