Atascadero water company tightens restrictions on water use
In order to comply with a state mandate that the Atascadero Mutual Water Co. reduce total water usage by 28 percent this year compared with 2013, water consumers in Atascadero will face additional restrictions and single-family homes will be on the hook for increased rates should they exceed 26,000 gallons per month.
On May 12, the AMWC Board of Directors approved revisions to its February 2014 Stage Two water shortage declaration, reducing the number of days for outdoor watering, implementing new drought rates and assigning surcharges for water consumers who violate a list of pre-existing restrictions.
The new rules go into effect June 15.
While Gov. Jerry Brown has required local governments and water providers to conserve enough water to result in a net 25 percent reduction compared with 2013 use, Atascadero is required to conserve 28 percent based on its per capita use, AMWC general manager John Neil said.
He added that about 20 percent of the roughly 9,300 single-family residence accounts regularly exceed 26,000 gallons per month and those same homes also account for about 60 percent of the city’s total water use.
“The board feels that these are the people we should focus on,” Neil said.
Single-family homes that use less than 26,000 gallons per month will not be affected by the new drought rates.
According to the new schedule, single-family homes that use 26,000 to 50,000 gallons will be charged a rate of $5.25 per 1,000 gallons in that range, compared to the previous rate of $4.80 per 1,000 gallons. Similar residences that use 51,000 to 75,000 gallons will be charged $6.50 per 1,000 gallons, and those using 76,000 to 100,000 gallons will be charged $8 per 1,000 gallons.
How Atascadero water rates are changing
| Current rates | Drought rates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Use in gallons | Rate | Tier | Use in gallons | Rate |
| Base | 0-2,000 | $18.00 | Base | 0-2,000 | $18.00 |
| 1 | 3,000-12,000 | $2.10 | 1 | 3,000-12,000 | $2.10 |
| 2 | 13,000-25,000 | $3.25 | 2 | 13,000-25,000 | $3.25 |
| 3 | 26,000-50,000 | $4.80 | 3 | 26,000-50,000 | $5.25 |
| 4 | 51,000-75,000 | $5.50 | 4 | 51,000-75,000 | $6.50 |
| 5 | 75,000-plus | $6.00 | 5 | 75,000-100,000 | $8.00 |
| N/A | 6 | 100,000-plus | $10.00 | ||
The rate increases will be reflected in the July water bill.
All other properties — commercial, industrial, multi-family residential and landscape — will be subject to surcharges if their water use for any month in 2015 (beginning June 5) is greater than their use for the same month in 2013.
The water company will calculate the charge by multiplying the difference in use between the two dates by the highest tier rate, and the surcharges will be added to the customer’s next bill.
Tiered rate systems that encourage conservation came into question last month after San Juan Capistrano's rates were found unconstitutional in an appellate court ruling. However, the ruling does not apply to private water agencies such as Atascadero Mutual Water Co.
The nonprofit water utility has had a tiered rate structure since the late 1970s.
Meanwhile, Atascadero’s board added to a list of previously approved water prohibitions a reduction from three to two for the number of days residents may irrigate outdoors. Under the new rules, watering will be limited to Tuesdays and Saturdays for properties with even-numbered street addresses and Wednesdays and Sundays for properties with odd-numbered addresses.
Watering will be prohibited Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Those restrictions come atop already approved rules against outdoor watering between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Other already-in-place measures include restrictions on run-off from landscaped surfaces and washing hard-surfaced areas, failing to fix a plumbing leak within 24 hours, using a hose without a shut-off nozzle and requiring restaurants to not serve water unless requested.
Warning notices will be issued for a first violation. Second violations will result in a $50 surcharge, which increases to $100 on a third violation and $500 per violation thereafter.
While the rates and surcharges are punitive, they will also serve to offset administrative costs to AMWC, which include additional monitoring, state reporting and the hiring of a part-time water conservation technician, according to a staff report.
Water suppliers who fail to enforce the state mandate could face penalties of up to $10,000 a day.
For a complete listing of new rates and restrictions to take effect June 15, visit www.amwc.us.
This story was originally published May 20, 2015 at 12:22 PM.