Wastewater Division

You may mail or hand deliver a signed protest form to the City Clerk’s Office, 6500 Palma Avenue, until the close of the public hearing on June 10, 2025. You have the right to submit a protest for each parcel you own connected to the City’s sewer. Resolution No. 2019-033 establishes the City’s procedures for the submission and tabulation of Prop 218 protests.

(1) State that the identified property owner is in opposition to the proposed increases to the wastewater rates;
(2) Provide the location of the identified parcel (by street address or assessor’s parcel number (APN);
(3) Include the printed name and original, wet signature of the property owner submitting the protest;
(4) Date the protest was signed; and
(5) Certification by the named property owner that the contents of the protest are true and correct.

Your signed protest must also be delivered in a sealed envelope and have “Attn: Protest Wastewater Rate Increase" written on the outside in order to properly identify and account for the vote.

If you do not wish to oppose the proposed rate adjustments, no action is necessary. By not submitting a protest form, you are showing your support for the rate adjustments. You may also attend the public hearing on June 10 to voice your support.

Following the Public Hearing, if the proposed rates are upheld, the City Council will vote on the rate adjustments as presented. The new rates will then be adopted via Resolution. If adopted, the Resolution with the new wastewater service charges will go into effect for all residential and business customers on or after July 10, 2025, following a 30-day period. The revised charges will be reflected on property tax bills mailed after July 15, 2025.

No, Proposition 218 requires a written protest with a signature.

City Council Staff Reports and the detail for the proposed rate adjustments. A wastewater rate analysis is available for the public at City Hall, 6500 Palma Ave., during normal business hours Monday through Friday.

Proposition 218 requires a simple majority of 50 percent of the parcel owners, plus one.

The proposed amounts were carefully decided upon after determining the cost of providing wastewater services and critical upgrades and/or replacement of wastewater facilities, as well as the City's existing financial resources. For an additional $8.91 per month for the typical residential customer beginning July 1 this year, the City will be able to maintain the necessary schedule to make the needed repairs and improvements, and fund ongoing operational costs and maintenance.

The last rate increase was in 2023. Prior to that, rates were raised only five times over the last 25+ years.

Cost to operate the wastewater treatment and collection systems to ensure continued, safe, reliable utility services cost approximately $2,000,000 each year. In addition, there are over $173 million in capital improvement projects planned over the next ten years. Most of these projects are to replace and modernize aging infrastructure at the end of its useful life, and to meet ever increasing and stricter State regulatory requirements. Coupled with increasing operational costs, the scale goes beyond the capacity of the normal City budget. Wastewater funds are generated from the wastewater connection and service charges. Only parcels connected and benefiting from City sewer services are billed these charges. There are over 11,000 parcels in the City and about half of those parcels receive sewer service.

You can download the Proposition 218 notice here.

Sewer charges are billed annually on your San Luis Obispo County property tax bill.  You can view your property tax bill online at https://services.slocountytax.org. The sewer charge is shown on the tax bill as ATAS SEWER CHARGE.

The new wastewater service charges will go into effect for all residential and business customers on or after July 10, 2025.

The rates will remain in effect indefinitely or until new rates are proposed and another Prop 218 protest hearing is held.

The rate increase is needed to maintain the current level of service for all wastewater customers, pay for needed repairs and improvements, as well as fund ongoing operating and maintaining costs for the collection and treatment systems for wastewater. Without these rate increases, much needed infrastructure maintenance and improvements would lack funding and the public could see reduced levels of service.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to offer discounted rates to fixed income residents without making up the discount from some other source, and state law (Proposition 218) prohibits any property owner from being charged more than their proportional cost of service. In other words, the City can’t subsidize some of its customers by overcharging other customers.

Proactively maintaining your residential and commercial sewer systems helps to protect you against potentially costly repairs in addition to helping keep the City’s sewer system free flowing. Below you will find information and tips on how to care for your residential or commercial sewer system.

Please do the following

• Use only a licensed contractor or plumber to make any repairs. State law requires that any contractor performing more than $500 of work is required to have a contractor’s license. Having a licensed contractor or plumber is very important when working on sewer systems as there are a number of unique hazards in sewer work.
• Maintain your private sewer lateral. The line running from your home out into the street is referred to as a sewer lateral. This lateral is the property of, and the responsibility of the homeowner. If your lateral is improperly maintained it can lead to costly repairs and sewer spills.
• Deposit all cooking grease, eggshells and coffee grounds in the trash. While it may seem harmless to dump that hot grease down the drain, cooking grease as it cools will congeal and form a solid mass blocking the flow of sewage in either your private lateral or in the sewer main.
• Recycle motor oil, paint, and other toxic materials at:
  Chicago Grade Landfill
  2290 Homestead Road, Templeton, CA
  Hours: Saturday 11 am - 3 pm
  Map & Directions

Please do not do the following:

• Dig without calling Underground Service Alert at 800-642-2444.
• Plant trees directly over a sewer line. Root growth in sewer lines is problematic.
• Pour chemicals, cleaners, motor oil or solvent down the sewer (Chicago Grade Landfill takes these items.)
• Put cooking grease or eggshells down drains or in garbage disposal.
• Use an unlicensed or unknown contractor to make repairs.
• Dispose of medical wastes, dental floss, clothes, baby wipes, diapers, rubber gloves, or similar items down the drain. These items can easily clog sewer pumps and in many cases pose a hazard to both the environment and the Collections system workers.
• Flush unwanted medications down the drain. These materials can remain in the environment and in some cases pass through our treatment process intact. In response to a growing demand for a safe and convenient way to dispose of household medications, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, your local pharmacies and the SLO County IWMA have teamed up to provide a FREE home generated disposal program. Click here for more information.

"Fats, Oils, and Grease" (FOG) means any substance such as a vegetable or animal product that is used in, or is a by-product of, the cooking or food preparation process, and that turns or may turn viscous or solidifies with a change in temperature or other conditions.

Protect our environment. Keep drains clear of Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG). FOG build-up in sewer pipes is costly to clean, requiring local Public Works staff to go to the site to remove the blockage.

Sources of FOG

Fat, Oil and Grease are by-products of cooking found in: food scraps, meat fats, cooking oil, butter, margarine, and shortening.

Negative Effects of FOG

• Expensive and unpleasant cleanup
• Property damage from sewage backups that may not be covered by insurance
• Sewage overflows in streets or rivers
• Attracts insects and rodents
• Higher operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments and residents from cleaning FOG build-up

Keep our environment clean and avoid unnecessary maintenance costs by keeping fat, oil and grease out of our sewers.

Keep Drains Clear

Follow These Tips:

• Pour or scrape greasy and oily food waste into a container.
• Allow grease to cool or freeze in the container before throwing it in the trash.
• Mix liquid vegetable oil with an absorbent material such as cat litter or coffee grounds in a sealable container before throwing it in the trash.
• Keep drains clean by pouring 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Wait 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse with hot water.

Install strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps/solids.

Do Not

• Pour fat, oil or grease down drains or garbage disposals.
• Use hot water to rinse grease off cookware, utensils, dishes or surfaces.

Impact of FOG

Preventing sewer backups from FOG blockages saves residents money and protects the environment. When sewer pipes on private property back up, the homeowner is responsible for the cleanup. For example, if a resident regularly pours grease down a drain, it will eventually cool, harden and form a blockage in the sewer pipe. Sewage then backs up through floor drains and toilets at the lowest point in the house. A plumber will have to be hired to clean the sewer and possibly repair plumbing inside the home and cleanup costs can be expensive.

In addition to keeping drains clear of fat, oil and grease you can also help prevent sewer blockages by never flushing:

• Disinfecting Wipes
• Baby Wipes
• Toilet Cleaning Pads
• Any products that are not biodegradable
• Moist Towels
• Paper Towels
• Mop/”Swiffer” Refills

For Information on FOG prevention, please call the City of Atascadero at (805) 470-3140.

Sewer charges are billed annually on your San Luis Obispo County property tax bill. You can view your property tax bill online at https://services.slocountytax.org. The sewer charge is shown on the tax bill as ATAS SEWER CHARGE.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to offer discounted rates to fixed income residents without making up the discount from some other source, and state law (Proposition 218) prohibits any property owner from being charged more than their proportional cost of service. In other words, the City can't subsidize some of its customers by overcharging other customers.

If you see a sewage spill, immediately call the Atascadero Police Department at (805) 461-5051.

Please contact Public Works Operations at (805) 470-3148.