The water bill is about to go up for many in Southern California.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California plans to raise rates and property taxes over the next two years, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The additional revenue will be used to “cover the costs of importing and treating water, as well as finance climate change adaptations to infrastructure and make up for declines in revenue due to widespread conservation efforts,” according to the Times.
Interestingly, MWD Board of Directors Chair Adán Ortega Jr. placed the blame on efforts to conserve water in California.
“Our sales are declining, and we need to make that up somehow,” Ortega said, as reported by the Times. “We’ve made up the revenue and stabilized the past rates with the reserves, and we can’t keep doing that.”
The MWD will raise its water rates for cities and retail suppliers by 8.5% in 2025 and again by 8.5% in 2026.
In addition, the MWD’s property tax assessment will rise from $28 to $56 annually for the median Los Angeles County home, while in Orange County, that figure is expected to rise from $33 to $66.
In addition to rate and tax increases, the MWD also plans to cut spending, the Times reports.