The Alameda County Water District board voted on Tuesday night to approve a rate increase for the 16th year in a row, charging customers a 30 percent service charge increase in their bimonthly bill effective May 1.
The service charge increase combined with a zero percent increase to the commodity charge, means the typical residential customers' bi-monthly water bill will see an overall increase of approximately 8 percent, according to the district.
The five-member board approve the rate increase by a 3-2 vote, the Argus reported.
More than two dozen critics came out to the Fremont meeting reject the pay increase, which would average about $5 per month, or $10 bi-monthly, arguing the district should rein in its costs, such as employee salaries and health benefits, the newspaper reported. The district gets its water from the State Water Project, Hetch Hetchy and Alameda Creek Watershed runoff and produces an average of 43 million gallons of water per day.
The water district, which serves 340,000 customers in Fremont, Newark and Union City, is just the latest agency to grapple with California’s fourth year of drought.
On Tuesday, the East Bay Municipal Utility District declared a “Stage 4” critical drought, and approved a mandatory 20 percent cutbacks and stricter watering rules.
The board also set the stage for up to 25-percent rate increases and penalties for customers who over-use -- charges the district plans to implement in the coming months.
