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Opinion: 37,000 County Residents Want to Raise Water Costs for 3.3 Million San Diegans Without a Vote

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego by Brigette Browning and Carol Kim Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Imagine going to dinner with a large group where everyone orders a full meal and one couple leaves just as the bill arrives. Unfortunately, this “dine and dash” is happening right now in San Diego County. Except it’s not just friends at dinner but rather two water districts attempting to leave us all with a tab of more than $200 million as they form a new partnership in Riverside.

What does this mean for the rest of us? All our water bills will go up as we’re forced to foot the bill.

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La Jolla Resident’s Water Bill Leaped From $120 to $1,400. Here’s What to do if it Happens to You

/in , /by /La Jolla Lightby Ashley Macklin-Solomon

Part-time Windansea resident Brad Owens recently experienced a one-two punch that some others in La Jolla can empathize with. First, his water bills skyrocketed as much as 12-fold, even in a time when he wasn’t in San Diego. Then he learned his sewer rate for the coming year will be based on the water rate from that time, so his sewer bill will be 10 times its normal amount.

But perhaps more frustrating for Owens is the lack of information available about the policies and procedures of the San Diego Public Utilities Department, which handles water issues, and what can be done about unexplained rate spikes.

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Commissioners Discuss Hikes to Long Beach Water Rates; Vote Expected June 22

/in , , /by /Long Beach Postby Jason Ruiz

Long Beach Utilities commissioners met again Thursday to discuss a potential rate hike for water, which could be as high as 10% next year as the department deals with declining sales due to customer conservation, increasing costs and an expanding capital investment plan that could, in the long term, increase the city’s supply of less expensive groundwater.

A staff-recommended hike of 10% for water rates next year would amount to a $5.69 monthly increase for the average customer, according to the department. However, an alternate increase of 9% that was requested at the commission’s last meeting would add about $5.13 to the monthly bill.

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Opinion: Your Water Bill is Going to Go Up. Arizona Can’t Keep Ignoring This Fact

/in , , /by /AZ Centralby Joanna Allhands

Water is going to get more expensive.

It’s a matter of supply and demand:

Clean, easily accessible water is dwindling across Arizona, while those who rely on it aren’t going anywhere. That means we’ll all pay more for the thing that no desert dweller can live without.

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Water is Expensive in California. A New Bill Could Change That

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Susana De Anda, Michael Claiborne

Last month, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot warned Bay Area residents to brace for a fourth dry year in a row. As the state’s drought continues to compromise the drinking water supply of millions of people across the state, for some Californians, scarcity isn’t the only reason they can’t access water.

For California’s low-income communities, the cost of potable water is increasingly out of reach.

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Water Authority Seeks to Reduce Water Costs Countywide

/in , , /by /East County Magazine Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Addressing the San Diego region’s limited local water supplies with innovative ideas is something the San Diego County Water Authority has become known for. Using expertise gained from decades of successful planning and projects, the Water Authority is developing strategies to reduce the future cost of water that sustains the economy and quality of life across the county.

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Water Districts Work Together to Save Ratepayers Money

/in , /by

Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District and Vallecitos Water District have entered into an agreement that will allow for cooperative use of Vallecitos’ Double Peak Reservoir site in San Marcos. The arrangement is expected to save OMWD ratepayers over $100,000.

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Pandemic, Water Costs, Consumer Behavior Lead to $2 Billion in Ag Losses Thus Far

/in , , /by /GV Wire (Fresno)by Jim Jakobs

The pandemic’s direct negative economic impact on California ag is predicted to be between $5.9 and $8.6 billion in 2020. The estimated year-to-date losses are more than $2 billion.

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