Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Riverside public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
37 issues in water utilities
Sewer Services Five-year Rate Plan through 2031
Nine years without sewer rate increases left the fund near a debt-coverage crisis. The proposed plan starts with a smaller bump in January 2027, then annual increases through 2031 to fix aging pipes, avoid spills like the $6.5 million ruptures since 2016, and fund $380 million in needed projects.
El Niño Storm Preparedness — Emergency Sewer Pumps
The city will rent temporary pumps for six months to protect the water quality control plant from flooding like the 2010 event, after waiving the normal waiting period.
Substation transformer procurement and capital work orders
The board approved a $3.45 million project replacing aging poles, wires, and transformers on the northside to prep Circuit 26 for the faster 12kV system. Hunter Substation is 60-65% done, with commissioning in early 2027 and full cut-over by mid-2027.
Gas turbine repairs at RERC
Staff discovered an oil leak in a turbine at the RPU work facility that GE consultants called a critical, immediate repair. The interim city manager granted emergency repair authority since the cost topped $100,000, and the Board will ratify the expense with a full report in early 2027.
Reclaim water storage tank rehabilitation
A $86,500 contract with J.T. Thorpe & Son was scheduled to recoat and rehabilitate the reclaim water storage tank at the Riverside Energy Resources Center, extending the life of a key facility component.
2027 Electric Resource Adequacy Plan
Riverside filed its annual plan showing it has enough power capacity — system, local, and flexible — to meet 2027 grid reliability requirements at the lowest cost. Staff also flagged coming CAISO rule changes that could devalue short-duration battery resources.
Booster station power distribution improvements
The board approved $227,000 in work orders to upgrade power distribution at four water booster stations — Lemona, Cook, Mockingbird, and Jefferson — plus an $86,500 tank recoating contract at the energy center.
10-year Altec utility truck maintenance agreement
Riverside's electric utility signed a 10-year deal with Altec Industries for maintenance of its 30-plus bucket and line trucks, with required OSHA and dielectric testing done on-site. It's a services agreement, not a warranty — the city pays per call, capped at $1.65 million over the decade.
35-year Canal License Agreement
The Board was scheduled to recommend a 35-year license letting 7664 Indiana, LLC use part of the Riverside Water Company Canal in exchange for $146,866.78 in total revenue to the city.
Regional groundwater quality study
Riverside is pitching in $29,405 to a regional study modeling salt and nitrate buildup in the Bunker Hill groundwater basin, helping decide when a desalter or other management action might be needed.
2025 Urban Water Management Plan
Riverside is pitching in $29,405 to update groundwater quality modeling for the Bunker Hill basin, where modeling shows salt and nitrate limits could be exceeded around 2039-2045. Early warning matters for whether a desalter or other management actions will be needed.
Membrane replacement at John W. North Water Treatment Plant
Riverside's membrane filtration plant — key to water independence — needs its 600 ultrafiltration membranes replaced for $2.1 million, a sole-source deal with ZENON/Veolia. Switching technologies would cost roughly $35 million plus a $16 million brine line, and a grant obligates the city to keep running the plant as-is.
Electric utility rate rule changes
A $148,800 consultant study will analyze how much it costs to serve each customer class and design the next five-year electric rate plan. Half of customers now have smart meters, letting the study get more granular about who uses power when.
Residential energy storage rebate program
A $5 million battery rebate — $500/kWh, up to $10,000 per household ($17,000 low-income) — could cover nearly half the cost of a typical home battery. Board members noted funds could exhaust quickly with only ~10% solar-customer adoption and asked for annual review.
2025 Urban Water Management and Water Shortage Plans
The board was scheduled to approve and recommend adoption of the annual water supply and demand assessment, a key piece of drought and supply planning.
Hunter Substation 4kV-to-12kV conversion make-ready
$3.45 million to replace aging poles, transformers, and wire on the north side so Circuit 26 can switch to the higher 12kV voltage once Hunter Substation is rebuilt — commissioning starts early 2027 with full cutover by mid-2027.
Hunter Substation 4kV to 12kV conversion — Circuit 26
A $3.45 million capital project would modernize Hunter Substation's distribution to handle growing electric demand and improve reliability. Ratepayers fund it through the Electric Fund.
Declining sewer connection fees amid reduced construction
Sewer fund revenue is underperforming because fewer new sewer connections are coming in — a direct sign that development in the city has slowed.
Water quality plant operations contracts
Several contracts totaling millions — chemicals, lab testing, and security cameras — support operation of the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant.
Holding tank subsidy for 3625 Placentia Lane
Since 2001, water customers have effectively subsidized pumping costs for one property owner's holding tank near the North Orange well field — about $92,700 total to date — under an agreement that may never have been formally executed. A majority of the board called it unfair and open-ended, rejected the proposed continuation, and tabled it until staff returns with a timeline and legal answers.
Holding tank cost reimbursement for Robert Allen Shepherd
The board couldn't agree on whether to keep paying a homeowner's holding tank reimbursement — a 1999 arrangement covering the gap until sewer reaches the site. The vote failed and the item was tabled until staff brings back a timeline.
Service Lateral Replacement Program extension
Riverside Public Utilities will keep proactively replacing aging water service laterals before they fail, through fiscal year 2028-29. Since the program began, emergency repairs have dropped sharply, saving money, reducing water loss, and shortening customer outages.
Waterman transmission main break
A July 15 leak in the main line carrying 60% of the city's water forced nine days of around-the-clock repairs 29 feet underground; parks, schools and city departments cut irrigation to keep the city in water during the heat.
Gage Canal Olivewood pipeline outage fix
Customers on Rumsey Drive and Ivy Street have been without Gage Canal water for nearly a year after the Olivewood pipeline leaked under the BNSF railroad right-of-way. The approved $97,000 lateral modifications will reroute water through the parallel Riverside Canal Pipeline as a stopgap, fully reimbursed by Gage.
Agricultural water rate report
The ag water discount rate is now officially capped at its current 245 customers because the $684,000 annual subsidy limit is expected to be reached by 2028. Dissenting board members and residents argue the cap is arbitrary, since about 12,800 properties could qualify but far fewer ever joined. The City Council can raise the cap with non-rate revenue if it chooses.
PI System software agreement with AVEVA
The $1.66 million, five-year deal keeps the software platform that runs the utility's real-time operations data — water quality dashboards, power market bidding, compliance monitoring. Staff said rejecting it would shut down daily operations and could risk compliance fines.
Woodcrest Christian School electric service project
A $296,600 project awarded to Herman Weissker to upgrade electric service for Woodcrest Christian School.
Fiber optic cable re-route at Orange Street Police Station
$132,551 to move fiber optic cables currently terminated at the Orange Street Police Station building — keeping the city's communications network flexible as facilities change.
Public EV charger expansion
45 fast chargers are coming from Chaevi, a Korean maker now based in Riverside. Callers warned many proposed sites sit behind locked garage gates on weekends, that Ward 1 lacks working Level 2 chargers, and that the West End is being left out again.
$34 Million Utility Surcharge Spending Plan
Money from your electric bill's public benefits charge — about $34 million that piled up during COVID — will fund home battery rebates, solar at community centers and libraries, low-income programs, and university research. Some members want more direct bill relief for struggling residents.
Citywide Wi-Fi accessibility
Commissioner Waddler reported that much of the city's public Wi-Fi isn't accessible for deaf services and that providers have ignored outreach. A petition will be discussed in August.
14th Street storm drain improvements
The city was set to reject one bid as non-responsive and award the portable storm system project on 14th and Vine to a Redlands engineering firm for about $114,000.
2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan
Riverside's playbook for how it responds when water supplies run short — drought stages, conservation triggers, and customer restrictions. The board would recommend the City Council adopt it by resolution.
California Avenue and Sherman Drive Water Pipeline Replacement
A $1.78 million work order for engineering, construction and paving to replace the water pipeline on Cellini Drive.
Riverside Transmission Reliability Project cost reduction
An amended agreement with Southern California Edison cuts the interconnection cost by about $1.7 million, though one councilmember voted no.
Mobile-home and multi-family energy-efficiency program with SoCalGas
The Board was scheduled to consider an agreement with SoCalGas worth up to $1.6 million to fund energy-efficiency upgrades for mobile-home and multi-family residents. It would be paid from the Multi-Family Direct Install Program Account.
Electrical infrastructure upgrade near Orange and 10th Street
A $120,018 work order was scheduled for consent approval to install an underground switch in a vault near Orange and 10th Street.