News Release
San Diego County Water Authority
News Release: June 26, 2008 |
Contact:
John Liarakos
Office (858) 522-6703
Mobile (858) 761-2544 |
or
Craig Balben
Office (858) 522-6726 |
Water Authority Increases 2009 Water Rates to Secure Water Supply
Reliability
Higher Supply Costs Drive Increased Water Rates
Faced with additional costs sparked by growing water supply challenges, the
San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today approved an 11.9 percent
increase in wholesale treated water rates and charges and a 15.0 percent increase
in untreated water rates and charges. The new rates will become effective January
1, 2009.
Drought conditions in California, limited water supplies from the Colorado
River and court-imposed restrictions on pumping in the Bay-Delta have reduced
imported water deliveries from the State Water Project are the driving forces
behind increased supply costs.
The Water Authority’s increase follows the Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California’s 14.3 percent increase in the cost of treated
water and 17.4 percent increase for untreated water to its member agencies.
MWD currently supplies up to 80 percent of the water to the San Diego region.
“These rates and charges are necessary to continue diversifying our water
supply portfolio, improve water supply reliability and complete vital infrastructure
projects to meet the needs of our 3 million residents and $163 billion economy”
said Fern Steiner, Water Authority Board Chair.
The Board approved an overall treated water rate increase of $82 per acre-foot
(to $766 per acre-foot for 2009, up from $684 in 2008) and a $78 per acre-foot
increase for untreated water (to $598 for 2009, up from $520 in 2008) based
on projected water sales and fixed charges. (An acre-foot of water is enough
to provide for the needs of two average families of four for a year.) The Water
Authority is mitigating the rate increase by using reserves including a significant
draw from its rate stabilization fund.
Rate impacts to individual retail water agencies will vary based on their water
purchases in 2009. Regionwide, the Water Authority estimates that the rate increase’s
impact on the average household’s monthly water bill will be $3.42.
The Water Authority and its 24 member agencies are implementing a number of
plans and programs to increase long-term water supply reliability. For example,
this year the Water Authority’s water transfer with the Imperial Irrigation
District and supplies from canal lining projects will provide San Diego County
with more than 81,000 acre-feet of water. By 2011, the water transfer and canal
lining projects in Imperial County will provide more than 160,000 acre-feet
of water. By 2021, they will provide 280,200 acre-feet annually.
The Water Authority and its member agencies also are making significant investments
in developing new local water supplies such as groundwater, recycled water and
seawater desalination that will reduce the Water Authority’s dependence
on Metropolitan water supplies.
In addition, the Water Authority is executing a major capital improvement program
to enhance the operational flexibility and storage capacity of the region’s
water supply system. Among the projects under way is the raising of the San
Vicente Dam to expand local water storage capacity by more than 150,000 acre-feet.
# # #
____________________________________________________________________________
The San Diego County Water Authority is
a public agency serving the San Diego region as a wholesale supplier of water
from the Colorado River and Northern California. The Water Authority works
through its 24 member agencies to provide a safe, reliable
water supply to support the region’s $163 billion economy and the quality of life
of 3 million residents.
| 
