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Rates 2020
East Valley Water District has completed an independent cost of service analysis and is considering making changes to the current water and wastewater collection rates. As part of its commitment to transparent operations, the District will conduct a public hearing to consider implementing a schedule of increases to the agency’s water rates and wastewater collection charges over the next three years.
All members of the public are invited to attend the public hearing.
Meeting Information:
This meeting has been postponed to give residents an opportunity to join the conversation. The Governing Board will consider a new public hearing date once California’s Stay at Home order has been lifted. The District will send out revised notices to the community by mail, social media, and on our website.
The public hearing will be conducted pursuant to Article XIIID of the California Constitution. The public hearing notice was sent to all property owners, who may submit a written protest to the proposed rate changes.
Water rates are influenced by a wide variety of factors, from the cost of maintaining and replacing pipelines to the energy involved in moving water throughout the system. While the District has worked hard to keep rates low by maintaining lean staffing levels, centralizing operations on 1 site and bringing a number of key proactive maintenance measures in house, the costs involved in purchasing, pumping, treating and delivering water is on the rise.
In order to identify the exact costs impacting their customers’ water bills, the District commissioned a detailed cost of service analysis by independent financial experts.
This study identified a number of key factors that are driving rate increases:
- Rising treatment and energy costs
- Impacts of regulation and legislation
- Need to construct additional water storage for reliability
- Need to perform critical upgrades and replacement to the water system
View the Water and Wastewater Rate Study Report.
Financial Plan and Rate Review Presentation
If you have any questions or comments about the proposed rates you may:
Attend a Public Hearing
Members of the public are welcome to attend the Public Hearing regarding the proposed rate changes. Property owners may submit written protests which must be submitted by the close of the hearing. You will have an opportunity to speak, but verbal comments alone do not qualify as a formal protest.
Write
If you are a property owner who receives water service from EVWD, you have the right to file a formal written protest. These written comments may be mailed or delivered in-person to East Valley Water District, Attention: District Clerk, 31111 Greenspot Road, Highland, CA 92346 prior to the public hearing. Protests must specify the rate or charge being protested and must include: your name, parcel number and/or service address, and your signature. Email protests will not be included in the formal tally.
Public Hearing Process
At the time of the Public Hearing, the Board of Directors will hear and consider all written protests and objections. If a majority of the property owners directly liable for paying water bills submit written protests in opposition to the proposed rate increases, the increases will not be imposed. If a majority protest is not received, EVWD’s Board of Directors may vote to modify the rates in consideration. If adopted, the proposed rates would become effective January 1, 2021, and increases would be phased-in annually over the next three years.
Q: If approved, when would these rates go into effect?
A: Water rate increases would be implemented on January 1, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Wastewater collection rates would take effect on January 1, 2021.
Q: What are water rates used for?
Water rates are used to fund the operational needs of providing safe and reliable water services. Costs include electricity, water treatment, water costs, capital project construction, debt finance, materials, supplies, and salaries and benefits.
Q: What are wastewater collection rates used for?
Wastewater collection fees are used to fund the operations and maintenance of the wastewater system prior to treatment. Costs include capital project construction, pipeline repairs, heavy equipment, salaries and benefits, maintenance contracts, licensed software systems, debt finance, and materials.
Q: Are these rate increases a result of the Sterling Natural resource Center?
A: No, the Sterling Natural Resource Center is not funded by the water or wastewater collection rates. Once operational, the fee that is currently sent to the City of San Bernardino for wastewater treatment will be used to fund the facility operations.
Q: If I am not connected to the wastewater system, will I be charged the new wastewater collection rates?
A: Customers with approved septic tanks are not charged wastewater fees. Only customers that are connected to the District’s wastewater system will incur these charges.