The City of El Segundo’s principal water purveyor, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has recently adopted an annual 5% water rate increase for each year for over the next two years. This increase in the rate was justified by the unprecedented times we are facing regarding drought and climate change as well as the rising costs.
In the first quarter of 2021, the El Segundo City Council passed proposed water rate increase to keep up with the cost of providing water.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state cooperative which provides water to 19 million people throughout six counties. The water district imports water from the California State Water Project, beginning in Northern California as well as the Colorado River to supplement local water agencies with this life sustaining resource. There are 26 cities and retail suppliers in partnership with the water district who are all impacted by the water districts operational costs and reduced revenues. The water rate increases adopted by the water district, which will be enacted this coming fiscal year and the year after, will fund priority operation and maintenance projects, along with nearly 450 capital improvement projects and other water conservation related projects which would serve nearly 500,000 households. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is looking for ways to avoid higher rate increases by searching for new funding sources through potential state and federal grants and other water partnership that leverage investments within the district’s water system.
