After a month of public outreach and meetings, the Desert Water Agency board of directors is set to vote in a rate hike next month which could result in an almost 80 percent increase to consumers’ bills over the next four years. DWA officials said the incremental hike is necessary to cover the operational costs of the utility company and replace severely aging water lines which have resulted in hundreds of leaks this year alone. At a public workshop Monday, spokesperson Ashley Metzger explained the reasoning behind the pending rate increase and the process by which the proposed rates were developed.