REGION: Eastern customers to pay more for water
13 percent increase set to take effect Feb. 1
By: Dave Downey

For the third time in a little more than a year, the 580,000 people who get their drinking and irrigation water from Eastern Municipal Water District ---- including 140,000 in Southwest County ---- are going to see their utility bills rise because rates are going up next month.

A 13 percent increase is scheduled to take effect Feb. 1.

That's on top of a 10 percent increase on Jan. 1, 2009, and the introduction of a tiered-rate system April 1 that wasn't intended to raise rates overall but resulted in sharp increases for people who use a lot of water.

Peter Odencrans, a district spokesman, said monthly water bills for February will increase 11 percent for those who stay within their assigned "budgets" for indoor consumption and outdoor watering, and 13 percent for those who use more.

Odencrans said about 70 percent of the district's customers have been staying within budgets since the introduction of the tiered structure.

Odencrans said Eastern is passing on to customers a portion of the nearly 20 percent increase that the region's primary supplier, Metropolitan Water District, hit it with in September.

"However, if we were to pass on the entire amount, it would be 19.7 percent," he said. "We tried to scale it down and absorb some of those costs."

That Metropolitan increase boosted the amount Eastern spends on buying water by $10.5 million a year to $50 million, and kicked its overall operations budget up to $217 million, he said.

Eastern also provides sewer service.

Its water customers are spread from Murrieta, Menifee, Sun City and French Valley north to Moreno Valley.

Eastern's board approved the rate hike in December.

The increase is expected to raise water bills for families who stay within budgets from $54.12 per month to $60.24 per month, according to the district.

For those who use about 50 percent more than their budgets, charges will jump from $100.17 per month to $112.72 per month.

For those who use two and a half times their budget and get bumped up into the highest, or "wasteful" tier, monthly bills will rise from $237.42 per month to $269.19 per month, the district says.

Water budgets are based on amounts the district considers reasonable for showers, clothes washing and dish washing inside, and irrigating 3,000 square feet of turf outside.

Customers who have larger lawns may apply for variances, or adjustments.

Odencrans said nearly 42,000 variances have been granted.

Odencrans said no additional increases are anticipated this year. However, Metropolitan officials have indicated they may raise their rates for suppliers on Jan. 1, 2011, and that could trigger another rate hike next year.

For information on the Feb. 1 rate increase or variances, visit www.emwd.org or call 951-928-3777.

Call staff writer Dave Downey at 951-676-4315, ext. 2623.

New Eastern Municipal Water District Rates

* all rates per unit of water, or 748 gallons