Some Yorba Linda Residents To See Water Service Fee Increases Despite Conservation
YORBA LINDA (CBSLA.com) — Some residents in Yorba Linda should expect their water service fees to increase starting Thursday despite conservation efforts.
Beginning Thursday, the 75,000 customers of the Yorba Linda Water District will be charged more and not less.
That's because state mandated conservation has put the water agency in a dangerous financial position, officials explain.
"People are conserving like we've never seen before," Damon Micalizzi of the Yorba Linda Water District said.
In fact, Micalizzi says residents have gone above and beyond to conserve water, steps that are necessary due to the urgency of the drought.
But, he explains, that comes at a cost.
"That's more than $9 million that we're missing in revenue, and we had to adjust our business model to compensate for the position that we've been put in Sacramento," he said.
The new Yorba Linda water rate schedule will roll out Thursday.
For a homeowner with a three-quarter-inch water meter, the monthly base fee will jump from more than $10 to more than $26. For 1-inch meter customers, the cost will increase from more than $16 to more than $41.
