$40M San Diego water rates class action settlement

The City of San Diego agreed to pay $40 million as part of a class action settlement to resolve claims it charged unconstitutional single-family residential water rates.

The San Diego settlement benefits individuals who were single-family residential water customers of the city between Aug. 14, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2023.

According to the class action lawsuit, the City of San Diego charged unconstitutional single-family residential water rates that were not proportional to the cost of providing water service to its single-family residential customers.

San Diego is California’s second-largest city, with a population of more than 1.4 million.

The City of San Diego has not admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $40 million settlement to resolve the water rates class action lawsuit.

Under the terms of the San Diego settlement, class members can receive a refund based on the difference between the amount they actually paid and the amount they would have paid for their water service if the city had not charged unlawful rates.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Sept. 28, 2026.

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Dec. 11, 2026.

No claim form is required to benefit from the water rates settlement, but class members may be asked to validate their contact information and select their preferred payment method.

Who’s Eligible

The class action settlement benefits single-family residential water customers of the City of San Diego between Aug. 14, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2023.

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Exclusion and Objection Deadline

09/28/2026

Case Name

Patz v. City of San Diego, Case No. 37-2015-00023413-CU-MC-CTL, in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Diego

Final Hearing

12/11/2026

Settlement Website

SDWaterSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Patz v. City of San Diego
c/o CPT Group Inc.
P.O. Box 19504
Irvine, CA 92623
[email protected]
888-903-0334

Class Counsel

Andre M. Mura
Steven M. Tindall
Ezekiel S. Wald
GIBBS MURA LLP

Daniel L. Rottinghaus
Howard J. Silldorf
Ann L. Rauch
Theresa M. Filicia
BERDING & WEIL LLP

Defense Counsel

Meghan A. Wharton
COLANTUONO, HIGHSMITH & WHATLEY P.C.

Mara W. Elliott
M. Travis Phelps
Chance C. Hawkins
Tyler L. Krentz
SAN DIEGO CITY ATTORNEY