The Downside of Water Conservation

San Clemente residents are using drastically less water than five years ago, and it’s creating problems for water revenue.

Although water rates have been raised every year for the last three years, the total amount of money coming in has been flat because people are using so little, city officials said.

Assistant city engineer David Rebensdorf said this means the city has to figure out a new way to generate enough income to maintain its 210 miles of water lines, 14 reservoirs and 56 pressure-reducing stations.

So, on June 7, the San Clemente City Council is expected to pay a consultant $25,000 to suggest possible changes to city water rates.

“Usually I’m against hiring consultants, but this is a very important expense, [so] we know what to fairly charge the residents,” Councilman Bob Baker said at Wednesday's budget workshop.

Currently, 20 percent of local water rates are fixed, meaning 20 percent of your bill is inescapable, Rebensdorf said. The remaining 80 percent fluctuates based on how much water you use. If you use less than a certain number of gallons per month, the water costs less per gallon than if you go over the allotment.

The consultant will look at water rates in other cities and the cost of maintaining service, among other factors, and determine whether the fixed rate needs to be higher.

“It’s hard to say,” Rebensdorf said of the possibility of raising water rates. “Some customers may see lower [bills] as a result of recalculation.”

San Clemente buys almost all its water from the Metropolitan Water District, which has been raising wholesale rates—another factor in the cost of water in San Clemente.

Also, the California Legislature passed a law at the beginning of the century requiring water agencies to reduce usage by 20 percent by the year 2020. Fortunately, at 148 gallons per day per person in San Clemente, that target was met in 2010, Rebensdorf said.