Trabuco Canyon District Rates, Fees & Charges

Press release from the Trabuco Canyon Water District:

October 29, 2020

The 2015 Cost of Service and Rate Study established the basis for annual adjustments to the District’s rates and charges for water, sewer and recycled water services beginning in 2016. The last rates adjustment under the 2015 Study was effective January 1, 2020. In order for the District to keep pace with inflation and other cost increases in water and wastewater treatment, and to maintain aging pipes, pump stations, and treatment facilities, the District has carefully considered future adjustments to rates and charges. The District has conducted a new cost of service analysis and rate study for calendar years 2021 through 2025 which demonstrates that the proposed fees and charges do not exceed ratepayers’ proportional cost of using water, wastewater and recycled water services.

The Rate Study will be available for review on this website November 2020 and at the District offices at 32003 Dove Canyon Drive, Trabuco Canyon, California 92679.

The District’s Board of Directors will conduct a public hearing on December 16, 2020 regarding the proposed rates and charges.

Link to the Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Water, Wastewater and Recycled Water Rate Adjustment Newsletter here.

Trabuco Canyon Water District's (District) rates, fees and charges are scheduled to be adjusted for calendar year 2020, effective January 1, 2020. In compliance with Proposition 218, and in accordance with the District's 2015 Rate Study, the following Notice of the adjusted rates, fees and charges was mailed to the affected District's customers.

BACKGROUND

In 2015, the District engaged in an extensive analysis of its water, wastewater, and recycled water services, revenues and rates. The District commissioned independent financial experts to conduct this analysis to determine the true cost of services and their corresponding impacts to customer bills.This analysis identified a number of key factors that resulted in the rates that were adopted by the Board of Directors at the December 16, 2015 Regular Board Meeting. These key factors included, but were not limited to, the following:

• Rising treatment and energy costs
• Impacts of regulation and legislation
• Drought and conservation measures
• Past and continued critical upgrades and/or replacement of water, wastewater and recycled water facilities and infrastructure

The adopted rates, fees and charges were adopted in accordance with Proposition 218 over a five year period, and were developed using cost of service principles as set forth in the American Water Works Association M1 Manual - Principles of Water Rates, Fees and Charges.

After a series of public Committee Meetings, Board Meetings and Special Board Workshops beginning in August 2015, the Board of Directors held a final Public Hearing at the December 16, 2015 Regular Board Meeting for the adoption of the Water, Wastewater and Recycled Water rates, fees & charges. Please see the agendas and meeting minutes related to the adoption of the 2015 Water, Wastewater and Recycled Water Rates, Fees and Charges. Please select the following link to learn more about the 2015 Rate Study.

This press release was produced by the Trabuco Canyon Water District. The views expressed are the author's own.