The Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners has recently approved an increase in water and sewer rates paid by all Long Beach Water Department customers, subject to the above public hearing. The Board of Water Commissioners’ approved increase will raise water and sewer rates citywide a combined 15.8 percent for all Long Beach Water Department customers. New fiscal year 2009 water and sewer rates will go into effect on October 1, 2008.
The core costs of providing water and sewer service are rising in our region at a rate greatly in excess of general inflation. Additionally, the immediate and unavoidable need to reduce consumption of water due to an imminent, prolonged water supply shortage in southern California, has resulted in losses in water sales revenue used to fund core services.
Faced with current and projected future cost increases, coupled with revenue decreases, the Water Department has taken immediate action, where possible, to minimize rate increases imposed on its customers. To help offset increasing capital improvement costs, the Water Department has reduced the scope of its water main replacement and rehabilitation program by approximately 40 percent, as well as increasing its debt-financing program to support the most critical water and sewer infrastructure needs.
Additionally, the Water Department has also not increased its number of employees for the last two years. The number of employees will continue to be kept flat in order to manage the increasing cost of labor. However, even with these actions, decreased revenue both this year and next, combined with increasing costs, have prompted a necessary rate increase for both the water and sewer service provided to Long Beach customers.
A public hearing will take place Thursday, September 18, at 7 p.m. at the Long Beach Groundwater Treatment Plant Assembly Room, located at 2950 Redondo Avenue, to consider any public protest of proposed increases to the City’s water and sewer rates for fiscal year 2009, which begins October 1, 2008.
For more information on the proposed rate increase, call (562) 570-2300 or visit us online at www.lbwater.org.
