HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 Rate Increase Notice - Irrigation and Commercial Agricultural Water Service
Si requiere asistencia en español con referencia a esta notificación, favor de llamar al 619-670-2222.
Otay Water District
2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd.
Spring Valley, CA 91978-2004
619-670-2222
otaywater.gov
Dedicated to Community Service
Notice of Irrigation and Commercial
Agricultural Water Rate Increase
NOTICE OF WATER RATES, FEES, AND CHARGES EFFECTIVE
FOR WATER BILLED BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2021
An overall average rate increase of 2.9 percent was approved by the Otay Water District (the
“District”) as part of the annual budget adoption process completed in June 2020. The new water
rates and charges will apply to water billed beginning January 1, 2021. Depending on your
billing cycle, the new rates and charges will apply to water used as early as the beginning of
December 2020. This letter serves as a 30-day notice of rate increases.
On October 4, 2017, the District adopted a five-year schedule of rates in compliance with
applicable provisions of the law. This increase is within the limits approved in the five-year schedule
of rates.
The District is a revenue-neutral public agency that provides water service to your community.
“Revenue-neutral” means that water bills reflect only those rates, fees, and charges sufficient to
support water service. To continue providing reliable high-quality service, the District must implement
rate increases and pass-through to its customers the higher costs from water and energy suppliers.
The current increase is a direct result of higher costs from the District’s suppliers, which include the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), San Diego County Water Authority (CWA),
City of San Diego, and San Diego Gas & Electric.
Rate increases are necessary to cover the increasing cost of purchasing water from the District’s
water suppliers. The District’s wholesaler supplier, CWA, has raised its rates primarily due to
increasing rates from its supplier, MWD, and the higher costs of a drought-proof water supply. These
increased costs are largely due to the increased cost of importing water from Northern California and
the Colorado River, and costs to produce water from the Carlsbad Desalination Plant.
The District works to minimize rate impacts of its internal costs and it implements efficiency
measures that help limit the impact of higher rates from suppliers. The District’s goal is to remain
among the lower cost water service providers in San Diego County. For more information about
District-wide efforts to streamline operations, visit otaywater.gov or email info@otaywater.gov.
Customers interested in learning ways to reduce their water use to minimize the effects of this
rate increase can visit the District’s conservation and rebate pages at otaywater.gov. The District
provides information on rebates, incentives, water audits, and other resources to help customers save
water.
Additionally, the Water Conservation Garden located on the campus of Cuyamaca Community
College in Rancho San Diego is open to the public and offers various conservation exhibits,
programs, and classes in person and online. For more about the Water Conservation Garden, visit
thegarden.org.
The tables below show the itemized charges that are used to determine a monthly water bill. Your
bill will vary based on meter size, water consumption in units, and geographic location.
Units1 Current New
All Units $5.72 $5.84
Meter Size System Charges MWD/CWA Total System Charges MWD/CWA Total
3/4"$33.00 $15.56 $48.56 $33.71 $16.36 $50.07
1"$46.61 $28.89 $75.50 $47.61 $30.38 $77.99
1 1/2"$80.65 $65.31 $145.96 $82.38 $68.67 $151.05
2" $121.44 $111.10 $232.54 $124.04 $116.81 $240.85
3" $230.32 $236.29 $466.61 $235.25 $248.44 $483.69
4" $352.85 $378.38 $731.23 $360.40 $397.83 $758.23
6" $693.20 $774.56 $1,467.76 $708.03 $814.38 $1,522.41
8" $1,101.58 $1,250.83 $2,352.41 $1,125.15 $1,315.14 $2,440.29
10" $1,577.99 $1,800.41 $3,378.40 $1,611.76 $1,892.97 $3,504.73
Current New
Current New
Energy Charge3 (per unit)$0.060 $0.063
Government Fee4 (per unit)$0.42 $0.42
Fire Service5 ≤ 3" (monthly)$22.55 $23.03
Fire Service5 ≥ 4" (monthly)$30.38 $31.03
Si requiere asistencia en español con referencia a esta notificación, favor de llamar al 619-670-2222.
Water Rates (per unit)
Other Charges
Footnotes
1. This per unit charge is based on the units of consumption. One unit of consumption equals 748 gallons of water or one HCF (hundred cubic feet). Customers outside the Otay Water District, outside an Improvement District, or using temporary potable meters pay two times this rate. 2. The Fixed Charges, based on meter size, ensure that customers pay their proportionate share of the water system replacement, maintenance, and operating expenses. The MWD & CWA Charges are based on meter size and match, in total, the cost charged by wholesale water suppliers. 3. The Energy Charge represent the cost of energy required to pump each unit of water 100 feet in elevation. This is charged proportionately for every 100 feet elevation over 450 feet. This increase is due to increased power costs to the District.
4. The Government Fee is a per unit charge, as a result your bill will vary based on water consumption. This charge is in lieu of tax
revenues paid by non-government customers.
5. Fire Service requires a separate meter and is a monthly fee based on service size.
This information reflects only changes to rates. For a comprehensive listing, see the
Otay Water District’s Code of Ordinances at otaywater.gov.
Monthly Fixed Charges2