Otay water board OKs 19.9 percent rate increase

San Diego Union-Tribune

Otay water board OKs 19.9 percent rate increase

8/25/09

SPRING VALLEY: The Otay Water District board approved a rate increase of almost 20 percent yesterday, with possible additional rate increases for the next five years.

District officials say the price increase is necessary because the Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to San Diego County through the County Water Authority, is raising its price by 19.7 percent next month. Other increases are projected for 2011 and beyond.

Otay's proposed 19.9 percent increase would raise a typical customer's bill from $52.54 to $62.27 per month.

Otay officials are predicting a 19.9 percent rate increase each year for the next two years, plus a 7 percent increase each year for the following four years. That doesn't include any projected cost increases to Otay from the County Water Authority, which the district will be passing on to its customers.

The Otay Water District serves more than 191,000 residents in southern El Cajon, La Mesa, Rancho San Diego, Jamul, Spring Valley, Bonita, eastern Chula Vista, Eastlake and Otay Mesa.—A.K.