News from EMWD

Water, sewer rate adjustments held to minimum by EMWD

Perris, CA (Jan. 11, 2007)—Water and sewer charge increases for customers served directly by Eastern Municipal Water District will be kept to a minimum for 2007. Typical customers who are billed for both water and sewer services will see their rates rise about $2.50 per month beginning with billing statements they receive after February 1.

For most communities, water rates will reflect a $25 per acre-foot increase for imported water by Metropolitan Water District, as well as a 3.4 percent adjustment based on the past  year’s Consumer Price Index (CPI).

EMWD’s expense to deliver fully treated MWD water for most areas will increase from $727.25 to $760.75 an acre-foot. One acre-foot is 326,000 gallons, or enough water to serve two households for one year. Customers in portions of the San Jacinto Valley, which do not usually receive imported water, will see only the 3.4 percent CPI adjustment.

In addition, the daily service charge for water customers, an amount that pays for ongoing expenses related to the water system that do not vary with changes in customer demand, will reflect the change in the CPI—from $.268 to $.277 a day.
Typical homeowners will see their water bills rise by about $1.60 a month.

Sewer rates will also increase, reflecting costs associated with individual reclamation facilities in different communities. Direct EMWD sewer service in the Perris Valley remains unchanged, while daily rates in other areas range from $0.019 in the Hemet/San Jacinto, Sun City and Moreno Valley areas, to $0.026 in the Temecula/Murrieta area. On average, the monthly sewer increase for a typical EMWD customer is about $0.62.

Like water customers, sewer customers served directly by EMWD will see their new rates reflected on bills mailed to them after Feb. 1, 2006.

Prior to approving these rate changes, EMWD notified all customers by mid-November of its intent to adopt new rates in January 2007.

As a comparison from September 1996 to September 2006, the CPI increased nearly 35 percent. During that same 10-year period, EMWD’s water commodity rate rose almost 13 percent, while its sewer rate increased nearly 24 percent.

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EMWD is the freshwater, wastewater service and recycled water provider to a 555-square mile area from Moreno Valley southward along the I-215 corridor to Temecula and eastward to Hemet and San Jacinto. Approximately 630,000 people live and work in this area. In addition to its own water customers, EMWD supplements water to eight local water agencies and municipalities that have their own water departments. EMWD operates four water reclamation facilities and treats some 40 million gallons of wastewater daily. More information can be found at EMWD’s web site www.emwd.org.