Board approves rate increases of 3% for water, 4.5% for sewer

By Karen Brainard

Customers of the Ramona Municipal Water District will see rate increases of 3 percent for water and 4.5 percent for sewer, beginning July 1, the start of the district’s fiscal year.

By a 4-0 vote, the water board approved the increases, along with its $32 million budget for 2013-14, after the public rates hearing on Tuesday, June 25. Director Kit Kesinger was absent.

The treated water rate, when combined with the electrical charge to pump water to Ramona, will increase from $5.23 to $5.39 per unit. For untreated water, the cost will rise from 4.58 to $4.73 per unit. A unit of water is about 748 gallons. The water service fee, based on meter size, will increase 5 percent.

RMWD Finance Manager Richard Hannasch said a household using 14 units of water every two months would see a monthly increase of $2.47.

For sewer, customers of Santa Maria Wastewater Reclamation Plant will pay an additional $27.67 per year while San Vicente sewer customers will pay $26.28 more.

Of the approximately seven customers who attended the rates hearing, one spoke out against the water rate increase and two asked questions. According to RMWD, it received eight letters of protest.

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