Drought: Water Rates Change for Customers in Dublin San Ramon Services District

Information from Dublin San Ramon Services District:

The Dublin San Ramon Services District Stage 3 Water Supply Shortage Rates go into effect Sunday, June 1, 2014.

The main purpose of the water shortage rates is to provide an economic incentive to all customers to use less water during this drought emergency. In fact, if a customer reduces their water use by thirty-five percent (the water savings goal of Stage 3 Water Supply Shortage Rates), and they use no more than 25,432 gallons per week (their water consumption is in Tier 2 or below), their bills will decrease three to five percent. If however, a customer does not use less water; their bills will increase approximately five percent for Tier 1 customers, twenty percent for Tier 2 customers, and thirty-five percent for Tier 3 customers. 

See the attached Current Water Consumption Rates and Water Supply Shortage Rates table.

A second reason for the water shortage rates is to generate additional revenue in order to fund conservation related expenses during the emergency. Most of the additional revenue will be generated from customers who did not curtail their water use thirty-five percent. The Board of Directors approved a budget of $300,000 for expenses during the emergency. A portion of that will be covered by the Stage 3 rates and a portion will come from the reserves.

A third reason for the water shortage rates is to ensure the financial integrity of the District during the emergency. Most of the District’s water operating costs are fixed; regardless of how much or how little water we serve our customers. “Our rates are based on the full cost of service and clearly defined standards of operation,” says Interim Financial Services Manager John Archer.

Track Water Consumption with AquaHawk

To help customers monitor their personal water use patterns and history, the District has a new customer portal called AquaHawk Alerting. Customers can access AquaHawk at https://dsrsd.aquahawk.us/.

“With AquaHawk, customers don’t have to wait for their bi-monthly bill to see how much water they use for everyday activities,” says CustomerServices Supervisor Vicki Goldman, “They can see how they’re doing every day.”

AquaHawk enables customers to view their consumption over a period of time and to set their own personal billing and water consumption thresholds and receive text or email alerts.  To register, customers simply need their account number.

Wholesaler Rate May Increase

“In addition, I’d like our customers to remember the Zone 7 wholesale rate they charge the District for water comprises about sixty percent of a customer’s bill,” says Archer, “So if Zone 7 were to raise their rates in response to the drought conditions, that would automatically pass through to our customers.”