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San Diego has some of the most expensive water in California – and in the country. A typical San Diego household pays about $80 a month for water. The national average is less than $40 a month, according to a recent survey by the American Water Works Association. Water in California is more expensive than elsewhere, but San Diego still has among the highest rates in the state, according to another recent survey. The most expensive water in the state is found in communities along the state’s Central Coast, like Santa Barbara.

On Tuesday, May 23, at 10:30 a.m., the city of Santa Monica unveiled its Stormwater Harvesting and Direct Use Demonstration Project at a ceremony at Los Amigos Park, located near John Muir Elementary School at 500 Hollister Avenue. Mayor Ted Winterer, Chief Sustainability Officer and Assistant Public Works Director Dean Kubani, City Engineer Rick Valte, and other officials were present at the event. The project, financed by a grant from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) and the Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax (Measure V), is a collaborative effort between the city, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), and the MWD.

In the most recent test results released by San Diego Unified School District, unusually high levels of lead were found in eight schools. In each case, the levels measured were below state guidelines requiring the district to take action. As school districts test for lead in their drinking water, they are required by the state to fix problems if they discover lead in water at levels greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb).

Water and sewer rates for Padre Dam Municipal Water District customers are about to go up.

The board of directors of the Santee-based district is holding a public hearing June 21 to vote on proposed increases and adjustments to water and sewer rates, and service charges.

The rate hikes, if approved, would take effect in November. The average residential Padre Dam customer would pay $154.75 a month for water and sewer services, up from $151.

Customers of the Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID) are looking at double-digit increases in their water bills next year, based on a proposed spending plan that will be considered for adoption by the district’s board of directors in June. The rate hike, which is planned for Jan. 1, 2018, will total between 11 and 13 percent, said Jeanne Deaver, the district’s administrative service manager. This includes a 9 percent rate hike imposed by the district, plus a “pass-through” of between 2 and 4 percent based on expected rate increases by the district’s wholesale water supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority.