Judge Orders LADWP to Produce Public Records

A Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to produce documents responsive to a Public Records Act request made 18 months ago by the San Diego County Water Authority.  Judge James Chalfant ruled that LADWP “…did not produce the responsive documents on its own initiative, whether before or during the lawsuit.”  LADWP has 30 days to turn over the documents based upon a set of search terms provided by the Water Authority.

Water Authority Expands its Lawsuit Against MWD

Today San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer granted a motion by the San Diego County Water Authority to amend the lawsuit it filed last year challenging the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s 2011 and 2012 water rates. Over MWD’s objections, Judge Kramer granted the Water Authority’s motion to add five additional causes of action to its case challenging MWD’s systematic discrimination against the Water Authority and its ratepayers. 

Water Authority Seeks Review of MWD Wheeling Rates by State Supreme Court

The San Diego County Water Authority on Monday petitioned California’s highest court to review an issue of statewide significance – whether the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California may charge its transportation-only customers costs associated with a service those customers do not purchase.  Specifically, the petition asks the Supreme Court to review whether MWD may include in the transportation rates it charges the Water Authority to wheel its conserved Colorado River water, MWD’s unrelated State Water Project supply costs. Central to the case are two pillars of public policy in California: the efficient allocation and conservation of the state’s water […]

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to Vote on Rate Increases in April

A day after hearing heartfelt testimony from several dozen speakers from the San Diego region, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors today voted to follow its own Administrative Code and vote on adoption of its next two-year budget and rate increases in April.  The recommended budget includes two more years of rate increases, “averaging” 7.5 percent for 2013 and another 5 percent in 2014.  

Appellate Court to Review Key Pre-Trial Decision in Water Authority Rate Case vs. Metropolitan Water District

Late Thursday afternoon, the First District Court of Appeal issued a preliminary order asking for further briefing on a request by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to prevent discovery in litigation filed by the San Diego County Water Authority challenging its 2011 and 2012 water rates.  The court did not grant MWD’s request, or writ petition.  It only asked the other parties in the case to set forth their positions on that request. 

Judge Rejects MWD Efforts to Avoid Discovery in Water Authority Rate Challenge

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer today rejected arguments made by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other Southern California water agencies that they do not have to produce documents to the San Diego County Water Authority disclosing how MWD set its 2011 and 2012 water rates.

Court Clears the Way for Water Authority’s Lawsuit to Be Heard

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer today ruled that the San Diego County Water Authority’s legal challenge to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s 2011 and 2012 wholesale water rates will move forward, despite another round of pre-trial motions by MWD that sought to dismiss most of the case.

Appellate Court Summarily Denies MWD Writ Petition to Prevent Discovery in Rate Case

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s 1st Appellate District Court of Appeal Thursday summarily denied a writ petition by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California seeking to prevent discovery in a lawsuit filed by the San Diego County Water Authority challenging MWD’s 2011 and 2012 rates.  MWD filed the writ petition March 6, 60 days after San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer granted a motion by the Imperial Irrigation District and the Water Authority to permit discovery in the case.