Experts: Expect California Water Bills To Escalate Despite Reduced Water Use

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — If you're a California resident, you may soon start receiving bigger water bills, even if you do your part in reducing your water usage.

Experts say that even as people cut their water usage in the state, due to the drought, their bills may increase anyway. The Metropolitan Water District's recent decision to reduce the supply given to dozens of cities in Southern California by 15 percent is only the beginning.

"All that additional water that we exceed, we're going to pay a lot more money on it," Santa Monica Sustainability Manager Dead Kubani said. "We may very well just have to absorb that cost."

Kubani says rates suppliers pay will triple if they don't cut back. As a result, the city has not only implemented its own 20 percent mandated cuts with penalties for those who don't make them, they're also increasing water rates by 9 percent for each of the next four years.

They're not the only ones.

"I would anticipate that other water agencies around the state are going to be pushed into having to increase their rates," Kubani said. "It's just going to cost more for everybody, which I think is going to really drive a lot of conservation."

Goji Juice in Santa Monica is among the small businesses especially affected by the increase. Owner Nilo Falamaki says the business is conserving as much water as it can but that it might not be enough to avoid the penalties.

"We are a green store and we try to keep it as natural as possible, but there are things you have to do for the benefit of the people and keep everything clean," Falamaki said.

While revenues may be down for a number of water suppliers throughout the state, they say that their piping system needs to be maintained, regardless of how much water is used.

Ultimately, the cost of water bills may continue to increase for years to come.