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Rainbow and Fallbrook Fight to Leave San Diego County Water Authority Amid Rising Water Rates

/in , , /by /NBC 7by Priya Shridhar Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Nick Serrano, a board member of the San Diego County Water Authority and Deputy Chief of Staff to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said if Fallbrook and Rainbow detach from the water authority, the rest of the ratepayers in the county could see their bills increase as much as 5% per year.

“I think it’s stunning that there is an argument to not allow people to vote, that people do not deserve a say in this matter and we just disagree with that,” Serrano said. “I think at the very least, we believe that the ratepayers, who will be impacted by this decision, should have the opportunity to vote. It’s not to say that detachment can’t occur, but they have the opportunity to vote.”

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Water Authority Warns Exit by Fallbrook, Rainbow Could Cost County Residents $200 Million

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority warned Wednesday that it could cost county water customers nearly $200 million over a decade if two rural districts detach from the authority.

In an email to county political leaders, Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz said a proposed exit fee of $4.8 million a year for five years “isn’t close to covering the actual costs that will be shifted to residents elsewhere in the county.”

The Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District are seeking to join the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County in hopes of securing lower-cost water for farmers.