Water rate increase of 8.3% approved by Water Authority board

The San Vicente Reservoir one of the county s sources of water File photo courtesy of the San Diego County Water Authority The San Diego County Water Authority s board on Thursday approved a wholesale water rate increase for following a population hearing Leaders with the Water Authority explained they were able to minimize impacts on ratepayers through a number of cost-saving actions as the board also approved the agency s recommended budget for the next two fiscal years The final wholesale water rate increase will be despite ongoing inflationary pressures and the continued impacts of atmosphere change on the Southwest the agency declared in a news release That s less than half of what was forecast in early The reductions were achieved by cutting budgets across the agency including those for capital improvement projects operating departments the Board of Directors and equipment replacement In addition the adopted rate was lowered by third-party water exchanges and financial benefits from the conclusion of litigation between the Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California While I recognize the impact of this increase on working families around the region the Water Authority is now on a path for smoother and smaller rate increases in the future that will provide the financial stability our region demands while still ensuring safe and reliable water supplies Board Chair Nick Serrano deputy chief of staff for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria Homes and businesses will feel the impact of the newly adopted rates differently based on their water use and how local retail water agencies handle costs As the region s wholesale water agency of the Water Authority s costs are driven by water purchases and rehabilitation debt operation and infrastructure projects During this rate and budget cycle the Water Authority faced increasing costs related to its main water supplies along with the need for continued investments in the region s decades-old water supply and delivery system Despite those pressures the agency s early investments in environment adaptation mean San Diego County has secure water supplies though it is at the end of the pipeline and has inadequate natural water materials Those investments in reliability combined with the legal settlement create the expected for the Water Authority to transfer or exchange specific of its water with other agencies to help reduce costs While there s still work to be done a future where San Diego County can help other communities improve their water safety will be a win for our ratepayers for years to come disclosed Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham A citizens agency created in the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to retail water providers including cities special districts and a military base