Cerritos Outlines Aging Water and Sewer Infrastructure as Cost Pressures Mount

By Brian Hews

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December 16, 2025

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In a detailed assessment of its water and sewer systems, Cerritos outlined the significant infrastructure needs that have accumulated over several decades and explained why substantial long-term investments are now required. 

The informational report highlighted aging pipelines, wells nearing regulatory limits, reservoirs and pumps approaching the end of their service life, and sewer lines in need of inspection and rehabilitation. 

While the city did not attribute these conditions to any specific decisions by previous councils, the data indicated that major components of the system had outlasted their intended lifespan and would require replacement or upgrades.

According to the document, approximately 70 percent of Cerritos’ water pipelines were installed between 1966 and 1974, with some dating back to the 1950s. These pipes are now 50 to 60 years old, well beyond typical service life, and have contributed to an increasing number of leaks and emergency repairs. Engineering consultants recommend replacing one mile of pipeline per year, at an estimated cost of $17.6 million for the first five miles. Funding for this level of replacement is not included in the current budget.

The city’s groundwater wells also reflect decades of wear. Several wells, including “C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-5,” require new treatment systems due to elevated levels of naturally occurring manganese and arsenic, with some readings above federal maximum contaminant levels. 

The report notes that necessary treatment upgrades, well casing replacements, and pump improvements are unfunded at this time. The age of the wells ranges from 48 to nearly 60 years old, and regulatory requirements will increasingly limit their operation without investment.

Additional components of the water system, including reservoirs and booster stations, are also approaching the ends of their useful lives. The C-2 Reservoir, built in 1978, will require major structural rehabilitation, and booster stations dating back to 1977 are in need of pump and electrical upgrades. Estimated costs for these projects range from several hundred thousand to several million dollars and remain unfunded in current capital plans.

The city’s sewer system shows similar aging trends. Much of the network, comprising 116 miles of pipe and six pump stations, is 40 to 60 years old and built from materials susceptible to cracking, corrosion, and root intrusion. The report recommends closed-circuit television inspection of older segments, pipe lining or replacement, and pump station rehabilitation, none of which are currently budgeted. A recent sewer overflow on Studebaker Road underscores the operational challenges created by older infrastructure. The rate study also shows that Cerritos’ current residential sewer charge, at just sixty-four cents per bimonthly cycle, is far below neighboring agencies. Even modest dollar differences translate into steep percentage differences: Santa Fe Springs’ $5.33 rate is 733 percent higher, South Gate’s $7.00 rate is 995 percent higher, and Downey’s $7.48 sewer bill is 1,068 percent higher. Cerritos’ proposed 2026 rate of $9.82 is 1,434 percent above the current charge, while Compton and Norwalk are 1,894 and 2,269 percent higher, respectively. At the upper end of the comparison, La Habra Heights, Whittier, Long Beach, and Lynwood range from 3,389 percent to more than 6,000 percent above what Cerritos customers currently pay.

Several recent emergency events illustrate the financial impacts of deferred system replacement. A major water-main failure on Bloomfield Avenue required an emergency shutdown and temporary bypass installation, costing more than $200,000 compared to roughly $50,000 for a standard repair. The C-4 well experienced a casing failure that forced it offline, and the November sewer backup required immediate cleanup and jetting.

Cerritos’ current bimonthly residential water bill is $65.11. By comparison, Paramount’s average bill of $72.28 is about 11 percent higher, while Lakewood’s $88.12 bill is roughly 35 percent higher. Rates in nearby Whittier and La Mirada, served by Suburban Water Systems, are 78 percent higher at $115.76, and Bellflower’s Somerset Mutual Water Company is 79 percent higher at $116.82. Cities including Santa Fe Springs, Cal American’s Bellflower service area, South Gate, Lynwood, Norwalk, and Compton range from 84 to 141 percent above Cerritos’ current rates. The two major investor-owned utilities in the region, Golden State Water and Liberty Utilities, are the highest in the comparison, at 202 to 209 percent above Cerritos’ current bill.

Cerritos’ current bimonthly commercial water bill is $461.32. By comparison, Lakewood’s average commercial bill of $500.93 is about 9 percent higher, while Paramount’s $547.35 bill is roughly 19 percent higher. Compton’s commercial rate of $555.81 is 20 percent higher, and Whittier and La Mirada, served by Suburban Water Systems, are 34 percent higher at $618.71. Bellflower’s Somerset Mutual Water Company is 43 percent higher at $659.50, and Norwalk’s $697.95 bill is 51 percent higher. Long Beach and Santa Fe Springs are 56 to 58 percent above Cerritos’ current rate, while Lynwood, Cal American Water’s Bellflower service area, and South Gate range from 63 to 70 percent higher. At the upper end, Signal Hill, Liberty Utilities, and Golden State Water charge between 136 and 152 percent more than Cerritos’ current commercial rate.

City officials describe the report as a baseline assessment intended to provide transparency about the condition of Cerritos’ water and sewer infrastructure. The findings show that much of the system has exceeded its original lifespan, and major improvements will be necessary in the coming years to maintain reliability, meet regulatory standards, and reduce the frequency of emergency repairs. Future funding options will be presented to the City Council in separate reports.

Under California’s Proposition 218, the city was required to notify all affected property owners of the proposed water and sewer rate adjustments and provide an opportunity for written protest. The law specifies that a rate increase cannot be adopted if a majority of property owners submit valid written protests before the close of the public hearing. With roughly 15,000 to 16,000 taxable parcels in Cerritos, this would have required approximately eight thousand written protests to block the changes. Only one protest per parcel is counted, and verbal objections made at the hearing do not qualify. Because such a high threshold is rarely met in any city, Proposition 218 protests seldom succeed, and most California municipalities ultimately adopt their recommended rate schedules after completing the required noticing and tabulation process. The city’s rate study and supporting infrastructure assessment were prepared to satisfy the legal cost-of-service requirements under Proposition 218 and to document the financial and regulatory basis for the increases.