LA DWP, other utilities to raise water rates because of drought
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By Mike Reicher, Los Angeles Daily News
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Enjoying those lower water bills from 3-minute showers and your new drought-tolerant landscaping? Well, prepare to pay a little more to make up for your conservation.
Throughout California, consumers have conserved during this four-year drought and purchased less water from their utilities, leaving some water agencies operating in the red and drawing down reserves. Officials now say they need to pass some of the costs back to customers.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will hike rates to cover some of its lost revenue, its civilian board decided Tuesday. Most DWP customers will pay 4 percent more for water beginning in January. The average residential monthly bill will increase from $49.73 to $51.53, DWP officials said.
