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Helix Water District rethinking water bill structure

Posted by: Maven on June 7, 2009 at 7:13 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

The Helix Water District is starting over with its plans for higher rates, and this time all of its customers will be sharing the pain equally. If approved at a public hearing tentatively set for Aug. 19, the district’s rates for a typical residential customer would increase by 21 percent beginning Sept. 1. “They may not like the fact that we’re raising the rates, but we’re raising the rates at the same level,” said Helix board member Chuck Muse.

At its meeting Wednesday, the district board also agreed in principle to move ahead with a Level 2 drought declaration beginning July 1. The declaration, expected to be approved by the board June 17, calls for mandatory water conservation measures, but district officials say they don’t plan to enforce them.

Faced with higher water costs from the San Diego County Water Authority, Helix officials had previously proposed a five-tier rate structure with progressively higher rates for those who used more water. Owners of large properties complained that the rate structure put a disproportionate burden on them even though they said they were trying to conserve water. The board scrapped the rate structure and canceled a May 27 public hearing.

Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.

June 7, 2009 · Filed Under San Diego

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