California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
In a 5-3 vote earlier this month, the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved two rural water districts request for detachment from the San Diego County Water Authority.
The request by Rainbow Municipal Water District (RMWD) and Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD) to separate from SDCWA and instead join the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) in Riverside County is an effort to secure lower-cost water for farmers.
During the hearing, LAFCO was presented with several exit fee options, ranging from no fee to $125 million for 10 years. The Commission ultimately voted 5-3 in favor of detachment, with an exit fee of $62.9 million paid over five years and credit of $38.6 million. The total exit fee equals to $24.3 million or $4.9 million annually.
“We are grateful to the LAFCO commissioners for their support of our effort to change water suppliers, which will bring much-needed relief to our ratepayers, including our agricultural users, who have been burdened for years by skyrocketing water costs,” said Jack Bebee, general manager of the Fallbrook district.
SDCWA board chair Mel Katz responded to the vote saying, “Today’s unprecedented decision by San Diego LAFCO is very disappointing because it will raise water rates for disadvantaged communities, working families, 70% of agriculture in the county, small businesses, and everyone else across our region. We’re deeply concerned that LAFCO decided that water ratepayers across San Diego County don’t get a say in whether Fallbrook and Rainbow can walk away from their bills and shift their costs to the rest of the county.”
A vote in Fallbrook and Rainbow will tentatively take place next year.
