The solution won’t all come in the form of rate hikes.
were using less water, but paying more per gallon. The Rat Bastards > The Board of Water Commissioners, which is responsible for water rates
Of course, our households have to conserve water because of a drought. In other parts of the country, folks are using less water not only because they want to conserve, but also because appliances are way more efficient than they used to be. Still, many of those folks are finding that no matter how much water they save, their water rates still go up.
SAN BERNARDINO >> Residents will see their water bill increase by an average of $3.50 starting in October.
The Board of Water Commissioners, which is responsible for water rates in the city, voted unanimously but apologetically Tuesday to impose the higher rates, the first increase in four years.
Almost everyone who attended the meeting was angry at the proposed increase — and you can’t blame them, said Stacey Alstadt, general manager of the city’s water department.
“For all of us, the last thing we want to do is cause economic distress to people,” Alstadt said. “But we need to take care of what we’ve got, or we’re going to end up spending more in the future.”
Monthly charges will continue to vary. Each customer’s bill is broken down into a minimum monthly charge — which depends on meter size and is used to cover fixed costs the department is responsible for, such as meter replacement and customer service — and other charges for conservation, the cost of piping water to a specific customer’s elevation and more.
“It’s a complicated bill, I’m going to admit it,” Alstadt said, adding that she wanted people to know where the total charge came from. “We wanted it to be somewhat self-explanatory. You’re stuck between confusing everyone on one side or confusing everyone on the other side.”
The water department offers a bill estimator on its website to see how much your costs will increase.
Since the last rate increase, she said, the water department has had to deal with California’s historic drought; the rising cost of imported water; new water quality regulations; and other expenses. Cost-cutting efforts include operating with fewer employees than in 2007, requiring employees to pay for a larger portion of their benefits and securing as much as $350,000 in rebates from Southern California Edison, according to the water department.
According to the water department website, the average water bill in San Bernardino — a bit under $50 per month — will be higher than average in Riverside and Redlands but less than in Colton, Rialto, the East Valley Water District, the Cucamonga Valley Water District, the West Valley Water District and Fontana.
Further increases approved Tuesday will go into effect July 1, 2017 and July 1, 2018.
The department held four public information meetings, all at 6:30 p.m. on different days, in the lead-up to Tuesday’s meeting. But many objected to the 10 a.m. public hearing, so Alstadt said future hearings would be held outside the normal work day.
The vote was 4-0, with Commissioner Louis Fernandez absent.