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Scotts Valley's High-Volume Water Users May See Rate Increase
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Driving Impaired: The Costs & Consequences
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Scotts Valley's High-Volume Water Users May See Rate Increase
By Linda Fridy
Those residents and businesses that use the most water in Scotts Valley will pay even more for it under a three-year rate plan proposed by the Scotts Valley Water District.
The district charges by per-1,000-gallon use, and does not plan to raise costs until December 2010. Then the increase would only hit customers using more than 7,000 gallons of water a month.
"On one hand, our costs are going up and we're trying to keep pace with inflation. On the other, we want to maintain the rates that low-use customers are paying," said Charlie McNiesh, the district's general manager.
Under the new plan, the more you use, the higher your rate and your increase. Those consuming between 7,001 and 12,000 gallons monthly would see a roughly 3 percent hike, or 20 cents a month more for each 1,000 gallons used, starting in December 2010. At the top end of use, rates go up about 8 percent or 82 cents monthly for each 1,000 gallons in that top tier.
Those same higher-consumption groups would see a second, comparable increase in December 2011.
The schedule also reflects the district board's request to lower the tiers. The top level will drop to 25,000-plus gallons a month from 50,000 gallons, for example. Those changes would take effect Feb. 15, 2010.
Service and connection charges would remain the same, McNiesh noted.
The new rates would give the district an average 6 percent gain over three years.
Letters describing the plan are going out to the district's customers. They may challenge the increase with a written protest by Feb. 11, 2010, the date of the public hearing.
If a majority of customers protest the rate hike, by law it is defeated.
Scotts Valley Not Alone
The San Lorenzo Valley and Soquel Creek water districts both raised rates this year, but in both cases reduced the amount of the increase after customers complained about the hardships sizeable increases would cause. Those districts proposed across-the-board increases averaging 9 percent to 10 percent annually.
McNeish explained that his district has already paid for improvements that are driving rate hikes in nearby systems.
"For many years, our rates were higher than some other districts largely because of our investment in the recycled water program," said McNiesh.
Now Scotts Valley does not have the large infrastructure expenses of neighboring water systems in order to provide large users recycled water.
Incentives and Penalties
The new water rates reward low-level users by holding their costs steady.
They also give commercial and industrial customers who can prove that they have implemented significant conservation measures a chance to set the rate at the fourth tier.
McNiesh noted that some other county water districts charge a flat rate for commercial customers and reserve tiered plans for residential. He said this effort acknowledges those businesses that save water.
No potable water can be used for landscaping to qualify for the capped rate. Scotts Valley has a gray water recycling program that supplies irrigation water.
Earlier this fall, Scotts Valley Water enacted penalties for those who violate mandatory conservation rules, such as limiting watering to early or late in the day and not washing off pavement.
"We've had really good compliance, but there were some cases of people who thumbed their noses at staff who went out to talk with them," said McNiesh.
The new penalties, which start at $100 after warnings, will go into effect next spring assuming the district imposes mandatory reductions again.
For the water year October 2008 to September 2009, Scotts Valley customers reduced use by 11.4 percent.
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