Water rates are going up this year for some Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) customers.
The DWP said the increase, which was approved by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on Sept. 28, reflects the cost of various water supplies including purchased water to meet the demand created by customers who use large amounts of water.
“The drought conditions the city is facing are serious despite recent wet conditions,” said Anselmo Collins, senior assistant general manager of the DWP’s water system. “As we urge Angelenos to step up their conservation efforts, the water rate changes further encourage and incentivize water conservation while ensuring rates remain relatively the same for customers who use the least amount of water.”
Customers’ water rates are separated by a four-tiered pricing structure based on a customer’s water use. When the new year began, the monthly water cost for a typical residential customer in Tier 1 and Tier 2 who use the same amount of water as in 2021 will remain about the same.
For customers paying Tier 3 rates, the cost of 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons, of water will increase from $9.192 to $10.436.
LADWP’s highest water users, who pay Tier 4 rates, will see a rate increase from $9.192 to $12.794 per 748 gallons.
DWP customers were advised of the rate increase in their bills, but Tier 3 and Tier 4 users will also receive a letter from the utility about the increase and how they can conserve water.
The increase comes as the state faces a historic drought, despite heavy precipitation in the final weeks of 2021. In December, California announced a 0-percent initial allocation of water from the State Water Project in 2022, a source of water for the DWP.
The DWP on Jan. 5 again urged customers to follow the city’s Water Conservation Ordinance by limiting plant watering to three days a week and limiting cycles to up to eight minutes per station per watering day for non-conserving nozzle sprinkler systems or two 15-minute cycles per watering day for conserving nozzle sprinkler systems. It also prohibits all outdoor watering between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board prohibit overwatering lawns, washing cars without a shutoff nozzle, hosing down sidewalks or watering grass within 48 hours after rainfall. Violators could face fines of up to $500.
