A San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled late Friday that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California owes the San Diego County Water Authority $43.4 million in prejudgment interest, in addition to the $188.3 million awarded on Aug. 28 as contract damages for illegal rates MWD charged from 2011 to 2014. The order brings the amount MWD owes the Water Authority to $231.7 million.
Category Archives: Litigation
MWD Adopts Unnecessary Rate Increases for 2015 and 2016 While Over-Collecting $350 Million from Ratepayers
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Tuesday raised rates for 2015 and 2016 despite having projected cash reserves of $840 million – an amount that is $352 million above its board-adopted maximum reserve limit. MWD's board also voted to spend the over-collected revenue on unbudgeted expenses.
Water Authority Prevails in Public Records Lawsuit Against Eastern Municipal Water District
A Superior Court judge on Tuesday ruled that a Public Records Act lawsuit brought by the San Diego County Water Authority against the Eastern Municipal Water District compelled the Riverside water agency to release records and that it must conduct an additional search for records responsive to the Water Authority’s request. The judge’s ruling means the Water Authority is the prevailing party in the litigation and is entitled to recovery of its attorney’s fees.
Final Ruling: Water Authority Wins Landmark Rate Litigation Against Metropolitan Water District
A final court ruling issued late Thursday afternoon says the San Diego County Water Authority has prevailed in the first phase of historic rate litigation against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The statement of decision by San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Curtis E. A. Karnow affirmed his Feb. 25 tentative ruling in the Water Authority’s favor.
The litigation could save the San Diego region $2 billion in overcharges created by MWD’s illegal rates over 45 years.
Water Authority Sues Metropolitan Water District over Rates for 2015 and 2016
The San Diego County Water Authority on Friday filed its third legal challenge against rates set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, alleging that MWD’s rates for 2015 and 2016 aren’t based on the costs of providing the services. If allowed to stand, MWD’s rates for those two years alone would overcharge San Diego County ratepayers by $92 million; over 45 years, the total overcharges by MWD could exceed $2 billion.
Federal Appeals Court Upholds 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday rejected a legal challenge to the Secretary of the Interior’s approval of the Colorado River Water Delivery Agreement, one of more than 30 agreements that make up the Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreements. Approved in 2003, the QSA serves as the framework for delivery of Colorado River water in California, including the historic water transfer agreement between the San Diego County Water Authority and the Imperial Irrigation District, known as IID.
San Diego County Water Authority Wins Landmark Ruling in Rate Challenge Against Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
In a major victory for the San Diego County Water Authority and water ratepayers throughout San Diego County, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Curtis E. A. Karnow today tentatively ruled that in setting rates for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California violated cost of service requirements of California’s Constitution, statutes and common law. Specifically, Judge Karnow’s tentative determination is that MWD’s rates violate:
Court Denies MWD Motion Seeking to Exempt its Rates from Proposition 26
A San Francisco Superior Court judge on Friday rejected an attempt by the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to exempt its water rates from a voter-approved measure designed to protect ratepayers from hidden taxes.
Water Authority Wins Key Rate Case Rulings at Court of Appeal
“In today’s ruling, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the Water Authority, the San Diego region, and its ratepayers on several significant elements of our lawsuits to secure legal rates at the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “One key ruling is that the Water Authority is entitled to tens of thousands of acre-feet more water from MWD than MWD had calculated under its preferential rights formula – a benefit valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars based on payments made by the Water Authority. Another is that MWD collected millions of dollars in illegal […]
Damages Phase of Trial Challenging MWD Rates Starts March 30
The second phase of the San Diego County Water Authority’s landmark rate case against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California starts Monday, March 30, nearly one year after the Water Authority won the first phase with a court ruling that rates set by MWD violate several provisions of California law.