The county Board of Supervisors adopted parts of a water conservation plan proposed by the Metropolitan Water District. Surcharges will be imposed on over-usage of water.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a mandatory water conservation plan, following a decision by the Metropolitan Water District to phase in limits on residential water usage in District 29, which includes Marina del Rey and Malibu.
Under careful questioning by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky at Tuesday’s hearing, Department of Public Works Spokeswoman Melinda Barrett explained that, because of ongoing statewide drought conditions, the wholesale provider of water to the MWD and District 29 cut water supplies to the West Basin Municipal Water District by 15 percent. Accordingly, the district will impose fee surcharges to any usage above that target.
Yaroslavsky strove to determine what that means to Malibu residents.
“What, exactly, is the typical Malibu bill payer going to see with this plan?” he asked.
Barrett explained that if residents hit the target reduction rate of 15 percent of average-based usage [determined from peak season usage], “customers will actually see a reduction in their bills.”
“If they reduce by 10 percent, they won’t see any increase [in rates],” she said, “but if their usage exceeds 100 percent of their determined base usage, their bills will go up between $10 and $50 per billing period.” (Billing periods are typically every two months.)
Barrett explained that water usage is charged at a rate of about $3 per unit and that the typical Malibu resident pays about $300 per billing period for water usage. Should that resident exceed the 100 percent usage base, their bills will reflect a surcharge of about $45.
However, she emphasized that residents who reduce their usage by 15 percent will actually see their assessed bill decline.
According to DPW records, Malibu residents have already begun to reduce average water usage by 9 percent during the previous year. “We were very encouraged by these statistics,” Barrett said after Tuesday’s board meeting. “Eighty percent of Malibu residents should be very close to achieving this 15 percent target reduction anyway. It’s only the large properties, with substantive lawns, that exceed our targets.”
The DPW is determining base usage on average billing between the years of 2004 and 2006. Malibu residents’ average usage was 96 units per billing cycle. The target is to reduce that number to 82 units. “But if residents reduce their usage to 83 or 85 units, they will still see a reduction in their bill,” Barrett said. “In Malibu, about 65 percent of water usage is outdoor usage, so that’s where customers can see the greatest savings.”
In addition to a concerted public outreach effort, the district will send letters in August to all DPW customers outlining the plan change and advising them of their individual water allotment, based on previous usage and the season. The conservation plan will be implemented with the next billing period after letters go out.
Barrett said that the DPW offers rebates to customers who invest in high-efficiency home appliances and who swap out wasteful sprinkler heads, and provides guides to drought-resistant landscaping and onsite water use evaluations for homes and businesses.
“We hope we can help people get to their target reduction as easily as possible,” Barrett said.
DPW customers interested in a free, onsite water use evaluation can schedule an appointment by calling 888.828.8602. Information on water-reduction rebates can be obtained online at dpw.lacounty.gov/wwd.web/rebates.cfm. Information on low-water plant guides can be obtained online at ladpw.org/wwd/web/booklet/.