Look familiar? This post first appeared in the Morning Report. Subscribe to the best newsletter in San Diego here.
It’s been a rainy couple of years – and that means the region’s water importer and seller is hurting for cash. To help cover that gap, among other growing costs of its massive water infrastructure system, the San Diego County Water Authority proposed increasing water rates by up to 39 percent in the next two years.
In response, the city of San Diego, the Water Authority’s biggest customer, said “hell naw.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told the Water Authority Wednesday in a memo obtained by Voice of San Diego that he’s not supportive of the up to 19 percent water price hike which would go into effect Jan. 1. He called upon San Diego’s 10 representatives on the 32-member board to push back.
San Diego pulls the most weight of the 22 water districts that purchase from the Water Authority, meaning it can pretty much swing the board vote its way with the support of only one other district.
Background: The city of San Diego is the Water Authority’s biggest customer. But it’s also in the middle of building a multi-billion-dollar wastewater-to-drinking water recycling facility called Pure Water. For now, the city purchases most of its water needs from the Water Authority, which brings in most of the region’s water from the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The city has been pushing the Water Authority to sell-off some of its most expensive water supplies, including the Colorado River and desalinated water from a plant in Carlsbad. Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s new general manager, says he’s pursuing new customers for desal water in Orange County and recently sold-off some of its Colorado River water. But those savings can’t come soon enough, Water Authority customers say.
The board will vote on the final rate increase at its June 27 meeting.
So mayor Todd spends a billion plus to make sewage drinkable and in effect adds to water rates while waiting for toilet water to be available. Genius.
Not hard to tell it’s an election year 🙂
“It’s been a rainy couple of years – and that means the region’s water importer and seller is hurting for cash.”
Cry me a river. It’s called supply and demand. The water authority bet they could screw us based on predictions of dry weather, and since that didn’t pan out they are looking for another narrative to justify hiking up prices.
I am glad to see Mayor Gloria push back on increased water rates. I wish he’d zero in on the City’s own grossly over-priced sewer/water rates, it’s decision to start charging single family homeowners for trash collection and the constant bungling of its own real estate dealings.
Don’t get me started on the way-too-cozy relationships between city officials and Sempra/SDGE. Sometimes causation is found as close as one’s bathroom mirror.
Bring back the San Diego river that makes snap dragon wet. Why did that stadium cost tax payers.
Of course Gloria is opposed to water rate increases. If anybody is going to get more out of the citizens, he wants to be the one to get it with his proposed tax increases.
Too many reports how city management did not maintain our dams, having to discharge water after the state chastised the city. Forcing lower water levels to prevent dam problems.
Suffice it to say the tens of millions of gallons of fresh rainwater flowing back to the ocean is a huge loss to the city and taxpayers. Los Angeles is doing a far better job capturing this water, using it to recharge underground aquifers.
You just can’t make this up.