Protest to Water Rate Increases

This is my protest to a cost increase in my water rate and service.

First: THIS NOTICE COULD BE HARD PROOF FOR A LAWSUIT

I’ll explain. City Hall records show GWRP water costs were reported as $3,000/AF in2011. Today City Hall states its GWRP water cost is  $588.18/AF. Based on these numbers the capital cost of $2,941,002 per year to run the GWRP has somehow gone bye-bye. Over the past four years residents have paid $11.6 million for a water cost factor that City Hall doesn’t need any longer or is hiding. This doesn’t make sense.

Second: THE NEW WATER RATES DON’T MAKE SENSE.

It doesn’t make sense to charge more for POOP WATER a.k.a. non-potable or recycled water than drinking water. Rather than charge HOA’s $3.41/unit to water their grass with drinking water from Lake Mead, City Hall plans on charging HOA’s more like $3.53/unit for local poop water. Guess who makes out $ wise?

I believed 10 ccf of water costs me $36.04 today. After 7/1/2014 the same amount of water at the new proposed rate should cost $35.44. WOW!!! This is a SIXTY CENT SAVINGS. 

Note: My guess is this amount of cost reduction is not what Judge Gregory Munoz had in mind when he ruled our City Hall has to cut its water rates. 

The same 10 ccf of water I have to pay $36.04 today ONLY COSTS $13.80 in Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, parts of Dana Point and Mission Viejo.

Our City Hall has been charging residents the most severe drought rates the State asks for over the past four years. Now, City Hall is proposing to relax its restraints from 6 ccf to 9 ccf per month. This doesn’t make sense. The State is experiencing its worst drought ever this year. This is just one of many overcharges City Hall needs to repay over the past four years.

Oh yea, I believe the proposed monthly Service Charge of $30.74 for a 1” meter far exceeds any other agency in Orange County. Mission Viejo residents pay $7.77 for the same service.

Third: THE NEW TIER RATES DON’T MAKE SENSE.

All of this town’s water comes from reservoirs. SEVENTY percent of our water storage comes from two reservoirs. City Hall has no way to supply these two reservoirs with GWRP water.  So it’s dumb to say everyones’ Tier One rate is based on cheap GWRP water when it can only be distributed to THIRTY percent of the town.

IN SUMMARY

During the past four years City Hall has overcharged residents a fixed $11.6 million plus millions in varying excessive water rates.

The term VOLUMETRIC is meaningless as used in this Notice. City Hall has absolutely no way or means of measuring water used on residential landscape or who gets its GWRP water or who gets MWDOC water and/or how much of the two water sources they get or use.

As a past City Water Commissioner for six years I’ve concluded City Hall’s ONLY justification for TIER RATES IS GREED. Like one day Tier 4 water costs $11.67 and the next day Tier 4 water costs $5.15. This greed breeds corruption like is City Hall hiding $2,941,002 in GWRP capital costs per year and why?

In my view City Hall has to stop screwing residents with Tier Rates. Stop promoting the GWRP as a fix for earthquakes and droughts because its days are numbered until our aquifer is depleted of FREE WATER. Turn our water service over to Moulton Niguel which knows how to manage water and get out of the political GREED business.

Jack Chestek