Upcoming Water and Sewer Rate Increase Hearing
Earlier this year, the San Diego County Water Authority voted to increase the wholesale cost of water to the region, including RMWD. Those rate increases are set to begin in January 2018. While the impact of the rate change varies by customer, the overall average increase for our water supply is approximately 6%. Unfortunately, these wholesale cost increases must be passed along to our ratepayers.
The District will be processing a water and sewer rate increase in early 2018. Our Budget and Finance Committee will be meeting on December 12, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. to go through final alteration. Then the Board of Director's will hold a Special Board Meeting on January 20, 2018 to discuss the proposed rate structures and open a public comments process on the structure.
The meeting will start at 1:00 p.m. at the District offices on this topic alone. A special notice will be mailed out on January 10, 2018 with information about the rate changes. The affected parties can provide comments to the District up until February 24, 2018. Under State law, the public has this opportunity to protest the rate changes.
Should a majority of the affected group submit protest in writing, the rate changes will not go into effect on March 1, 2018. As indicated before in recent newsletter articles, we are working hard to pass through our water wholesale cost increases as equitably as possible.