Millions of Californians are set to see significant water rate hikes over the next few years, with prices for essential water supplies jumping by double-digit percentage points. In one large city, cumulative increases could see prices jump about 70% just in the next five years.
More late season rainfall is headed toward San Diego this week, starting with some drizzle before another atmospheric river is expected to bring several days of wet, overcast conditions into the weekend. The first bout of precipitation is anticipated to begin Tuesday into Wednesday as a ribbon of low atmospheric pressure currently over the Pacific Northwest advances towards the region.
Water rates in San Diego are set to rise, and many residents and business owners are voicing their frustrations. On Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted 6-3 to approve a 5.5% water rate increase, with additional hikes expected in the coming years.
Rain has officially entered the region once again. Coastal communities are not expecting to receive more than an inch of rain through Friday, which might not sound like a lot, but it is when it comes to water conservation.
San Diego water customers are facing a 5.5% rate hike on May 1 that’s expected to be the first of several large increases during the next few years that could cumulatively raise rates by 70%.
The first in a series of Pacific storms moved into San Diego County on Wednesday and began spreading much-needed rain, before a second wave was expected to follow Thursday night into Friday morning.
A winter storm is expected to arrive in Southern California, with rain in San Diego expected to start as early as Wednesday morning and continuing through early Friday. Local mountain ranges can expect snow to accumulate above about 4,500 feet through early Friday, with a Winter Storm Watch expected to take effect.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout San Diego County in the middle of the week, with periods of gusty winds, forecasters said Monday.
The city of San Diego will be completely shutting down a portion of Friars Road between Napa Street and Sea World Drive Friday evening to accommodate work on the Morena Pump Station project part of the sweeping Pure Water San Diego project. From 9 p.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Saturday, the aforementioned portion of Friars Road will close.
Fitch Ratings downgraded the outlook for San Diego’s water fund from “stable” to “negative” this week because of rising debt and concerns that city water rates won’t be able to go much higher once proposed 61% rate hikes have taken effect. Other factors in the downgrade are sharp increases in what the city pays for imported water and falling demand for water among city customers, especially during the rainy fiscal year that ended last June.
