Local News in Brief : DWP Seeks Rate Hike
Officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP), reacting to the second straight year of a water shortage, said Monday that they will seek a 9.6% increase in residential water bills starting this fall.
The proposed increase, which faces City Council review in July, would raise the average monthly residential water bill from $16.90 to $18.57, said DWP Assistant General Manager Duane Georgeson.
The agency is purchasing water from the Metropolitan Water District because below-average snowfall in the Sierra has reduced the city’s supplies. Los Angeles receives 75% of its water from Sierra runoff into the Owens Valley.
Georgeson disclosed the proposed increase following a City Hall press conference to kick off the second straight year of a television advertising campaign featuring local TV weather reporters promoting water conservation.
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