Water District Claims Financial Reserves Are Running Dry

The water may be coming down in buckets outside, but the water coming out of your faucet is hardly free — and it's likely to get more expensive in the near future.

By now, customers should have received a letter from the with a notice of a proposed 6 percent rate increase and a bi-monthly service charge. The changes would take affect on May 1 and would show up on bills as early as July 1.

There will be a public meeting on Thursday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the San Rafael City Council chambers at 1400 Fifth Ave.

MMWD interim general manager George Cronin wrote in the notice to customers, "Even though we have cut costs considerably, our expenses are going up. … In addition, we can no longer tap into our reserves to help cover costs. … Our reserves are now at a minimum level and need to be restored to keep the balance from dropping lower and to fund current and future capital improvement projects."

So, if you're like the average household and use 262 gallons of water per day, your bi-monthly bill will increase from $94.44 to $100.07, according to MMWD's numbers.

Cronin claims even with the 6 percent increase, customers are paying only slightly more than half-a-cent per gallon.

The MMWD also sent out a letter to notify customers of a proposal to extend the fire flow fee, which was originally passed by California voters in 1996 for a 15-year period. The proposal would extend a $75 per parcel fee for 19 years, beginning in 2012.

The public is invited to attend a meeting on the fire flow fee Thursday, May 17, 7:30 p.m., at the San Rafael City Council chambers.