Water rates rise locally

DOWNTOWN — The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has increased the rate from $508 to $579 for an acre-foot of water sold to Glendale Water & Power for the next fiscal year due to more water consumption and less supply, city officials said Monday.

The district is planning to increase its rates by 21% in 2010, pushing an acre-foot of water to $700, said Peter Kavounas, Glendale Water & Power water services administrator.

The rate increase is expected to continue after 2010 to a 12% increase in 2011 and a 6% jump in 2012, he said at a Water & Power Commission meeting in City Hall.

But while the water rate will increase for Water & Power next year, residents shouldn’t expect to see their monthly bills increase because Water & Power made cost adjustments for next year, Kavounas said.

“The economic impact of the rise in rates is dwarfed in not having water,” he said, referring to the diminished water supply in California. “It’s worth noting that water is not the most expensive of all utilities.”

But more adjustments will have to be made for the years following 2009, which may affect customers, Kavounas said.

Commission President John Miller was concerned the rate increases would negatively affect business in the city.

“The public should be aware of this,” he said. “Presumably, there will be some impact on business.”

The district, which supplies about 65% of the city’s water, may also implement regional, mandatory water conservation, Kavounas said.

“We are right now kind of at a breaking point,” he said.

The district is predicting a 33% chance that there will be a regional water shortage, Kavounas said.

“If they declare a regional shortage, we will most likely have to declare mandatory conservation,” he said.

Mandatory conservation could start as early as July if the shortage is declared, Kavounas said.

Knowing that the state’s water supply was low, Water & Power began to encourage customers in July 2007 to cut back their water consumption by 10%.

But the city is struggling to reach a 10% monthly water consumption decrease, said Atineh Haroutunian, Glendale Water & Power public benefits coordinator.

The City Council set forth last year a citywide water conservation plan that bans water wasting and advocates water reduction.

Glendale has not enforced mandatory schedules for water usage like other Southland cities.

But commission members Monday discussed the possibility of putting together a conservation ordinance as early as next year’s first quarter if a regional shortage is declared.

 VERONICA ROCHA covers public safety and the courts. She may be reached at (818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.