Nearly a quarter million San Jose families and businesses will soon be asked to shell out extra for water.
With the blessing of the California Public Utilities Commission, the San Jose Water Company will raise water rates for 229,000 customers, even though they may have conserved water during the state’s historic drought.
On average, the affected customers will see a hike of $3.67 a month, the Mercury News reported.
The water company blames the price increase on higher wholesale water rates charged by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, in part to fund infrastructure repairs, including at the Anderson Dam, which spilled over this winter and prompted a historic flood in San Jose.
Higher water prices appear to be a trend across the Bay Area. Earlier this week, the East Bay Municipal Utility District raised rates for its 1.4 million customers.
