Irvine

Water Rate to Dip: Households, businesses and other customers of the Irvine Ranch Water District will pay a little less next month when reductions in water and sewage service rates go into effect. Beginning July 1, the IRWD’s 35,000 customers in Irvine, portions of Newport Beach, Tustin and Santa Ana will enjoy a drop in the cost of water from 57 cents to 53 cents per hundred cubic feet. In addition, sewage service fees will be reduced from $11.95 to $10.45 a month. A district spokeswoman said the reductions stem from a combination of the IRWD paying less for water it imports from the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles and more efficient handling of sludge and sewage at its treatment plant.