City to Hold Virtual Meeting on Water Rate Hikes

A virtual public outreach meeting to discuss the proposed water rate adjustments will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

A proposed 7.1 percent water rate increase is scheduled to take effect in April.

According to the Pasadena Water and Power, rate adjustments are needed as revenues from existing rates were insufficient to meet the projected revenue requirements for the water system in the coming years. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the recommendations.

The department’s analysis indicated that the revenue shortfalls were due to increases in the cost of purchased water from the Metropolitan Water District, higher operating and maintenance costs and reduced sales due to the city’s conservation efforts.

The increase in Commodity Charge will provide additional annual revenue of approximately $1.5 to $2 million while the increase in the Distribution and Customer Charge (D&C) will provide additional annual revenue of $1 million, according to the staff report.

The PWP is planning to increase these charges further by 2023. Under the proposal, the department will implement a 7.2 percent increase on the mentioned charges by January 2023.

Additional meetings are scheduled for March 1 at Victory Park and March 9 at the Robinson Park Recreation Center.

Last month, the City Council unanimously approved Pasadena Water and Power’s request to hold a public hearing. The hearing is set for March 14.

To RSVP for Wednesday’s meeting, visit http://PWPweb.com/Events.