A Story of Struggle: The Water Bill Crisis in San Diego County
Once the water bills started piling up, Shara Sin and her children switched to eating off paper plates to avoid the cost of washing.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 53-year-old mother of four’s finances were already precariously balanced. She doesn’t work anymore because mental health complications cause her short-term memory loss and pain.
The federal Section 8 program covers most of the rent at her City Heights apartment, where she’s lived for the past 20 years. But her children are now at home trying to finish their college studies, putting more burden on the apartment’s utilities. So when the first $325 water and sewer bill arrived in April, back-billing her for utilities from December through February, she panicked.
“I don’t have money. I had to ask my sister and daughter and the family, but they have their own life and bills to pay. I have a headache for that,” Sin said, her hand rising to her temple.
More than 69,600 people in San Diego County are behind on their water bill right now, according to a recent report. The agency surveyed all of California’s water utilities to get a clearer picture of the financial hardship utilities have on residents at a time when more people are jobless and quarantining at home.
“That’s what’s alarming about that data. That much debt has accrued that fast,” said Glenn Farrel, the San Diego County Water Authority’s chief state lobbyist. “That tells us there’s a lot of folks living on the edge, on a month-to-month basis. And if they’re that quickly turning to water debt, it’s a structural systemic problem.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom banned utilities from shutting off water during the pandemic. But that didn’t provide financial assistance to actually pay off those bills.
Leaders first tackled blocking evictions and unpaid rent. The Water Authority is working with other water agencies to get bill relief approved in the state budget.
Locally, the San Diego City Council extended an eviction moratorium for renters and small businesses under ordinances proposed last week by Mayor Todd Gloria. But water bills in a city where water ranks as some of the most expensive in the country still haven’t been addressed.
Over 11,200 San Diegans behind on their water bill owe more than $1,000. Just over half owe $300 or less. The areas where people are struggling most include City Heights, Encanto, and Otay Mesa, neighborhoods that are generally lower-income and more racially diverse.
