Grover Beach residents could see lower water bills with new tiered structure

USE LESS WATER AND YOURWATER RATE WILL BE CHEAPER--THAT IS THE INCENTIVE THECITY OF GROVER BEACHPROMISES RESIDENTS WITH ANEW TIERED WATER RATESTRUCTURE.KSBY’S MEGAN HEALY HAS ABREAKDOWN OF THE RATES...WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOURBILL...AND REACTION FROM RESIDENTS.THE GROVER BEACH CITYCOUNCIL ADOPTED NEW WATERRATESIN MAY AND THE BIGGESTCHANGEYOU WILL SEE IS INSTEAD OF AFLATRATE -- WATER USAGE WILL BEBASED ON TIERS.THE MORE WATER YOU USE, THEHIGHER THE TIER, THE MOREYOUPAY.THE CITY SAYS MANY PEOPLEWILL ACTUALLY SEE CHEAPERBILLS---BUT BUSINESSES AND LARGEFAMILIES COULD BE THE ONESPAYING MORE.VICKI"WATER IS A COMMODITY INGROVERBEACH, IT’S HIGH RELATED TOOTHER CITIESAROUND."GROVER BEACH RESIDENTS PAYTHE FIFTH- HIGHEST WATERRATES IN SAN LUIS OBISPOCOUNTYACCORDING TO CITY DATA---BUT BY NEXT MONTH THEY COULDBEPAYING ONE OF THE LOWEST.MATT"ROUGHLY 80% OF OURRESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERSWILL SEE A DECREASE IN THEIRWATER AND SEWERRATES AS A RESULT OF THISOURAVERAGE TOTAL UTILITY RATEWILL BE THESECOND-LOWEST RATE AMONGOTHER CITIES INTHE COUNTY."BASED ON A NEW FIVE-YEARSTUDY--A TYPICAL SINGLE-FAMILHOME USING AN AVERAGE OF 14UNITS OF WATER EVERY TWOMONTHS COULD SEE A$29-DOLLARDECREASE ON THEIRBI-MONTHLY BILLS.GOING FROM ROUGHLY $112-DOLLARS TO 84- DOLLARS.IF A HOUSEHOLD ON AVERAGEUSES40 UNITS OF WATER OR MORE--THEIR BILL WILL INCREASE BYABOUT 17- DOLLARS.ANNABELLE"I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THATUPPER TIER THAT’SGOING TO CARRY THE BRUNT, SOWE WANT TO KEEP IN THE LOWERTIER..HOW CAN WE CANCONTROL THAT TO REMAIN INTHAT TIER IS OUR CONCERN."RESIDENTS ARE NOT ONLYTRYINGTO LOWER UTILITY BILLS BUTALSO CONSERVE WATER IN THEEXTREMEDROUGHT.VICKI"I WENT TO THE CITY ONCE ANDASKED HOW ICOULD GET THE WATER BILLDOWN AND THEY SAID TO NOTFLUSH MY TOILETS AND NOTWATERMY YARD SO THAT’S WHAT WEDO."THE CITY OF GROVER BEACHDECLARED A STAGE 1 WATEREMERGENCY WITH SOMEMANDATORYRESTRICTIONS AHEAD OFSUMMER.MATT" IT’S A FINANCIAL INCENTIVETOENCOURAGE WATER CONSERVATIONWHICH ISCRITICAL GIVEN THE DROUGHTCONDITIONS WEARE FACING IN OUR REGION."BUSINESSES WILL SEE THEBIGGEST COST INCREASE WITHTHE NEWTIERS-- RANGING FROM$11-DOLLARSTO $42-DOLLARS MOREDEPENDINGON WATER USAGE.MATT"WE WILL BE WORKING WITH OURRESIDENTIALCUSTOMERS FOR THE RATEINCREASES IF THERE ARESOME CASES THAT HAVE SOMEFINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.WE CAN WORK SOME BUSINESSESON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS TOADDRESS THOSE NEEDS." THENEW RATES ARE SET TOINCREASE EVERY JULY OVER THENEXT FIVE YEARS..STARTING WITH A 2-PERCENTINCREASE TO AFOUR PERCENT INCREASE IN THEFOURTH AND FIFTH YEARS.IN GROVER BEACH, MEGAN HEALYKSBY NEWS.###ACCORDING TO CITYDOCUMENTS-- WATER AND SEWERRATESHELP FUND MULTIPLE THINGS INTHE CITY...INCLUDING CAPITALINFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS,MAINTENANCE, AND BUDGETRESERVES AMONG OTHER THI