15% Face Penalties for Exceeding Water Allocation Limit

About 15% of Ventura’s water users are exceeding their allocations under a new conservation program and will have to pay penalties, city officials said Tuesday.

The city also released a new rate structure that was approved in concept by the City Council in June. Under the new rates, which are retroactive to July 26, the average residential water bill for a two-month period will go up by $7 to $10 unless customers reduce usage.

Under a water conservation ordinance adopted in March, single-family houses are allowed 294 gallons per day and multifamily residences are entitled to 196 gallons per day. Institutional users such as the city have to cut back by 20% and businesses and industries by 15%.

City public works spokeswoman Carol Green said two-thirds of the city’s water customers have been billed since the adjustment period of the conservation program ended in July, and 15.4% of them have exceeded their limits, Green said.

First-time violators are penalized at four times the normal water rate for every gallon they consume beyond their entitlement. Repeat violators have to pay 10 times the normal rate for excess use.

For example, a customer who uses 1,500 gallons more than his entitlement in a two-month billing period would pay a $15.84 penalty, according to a city handout.

Among the violators so far are four schools, six businesses, eight churches and 47 government agencies. Residential violators so far total 2,168. Green would not identify the violators until she verifies her numbers, she said.

The total penalty assessment against the city’s violators is $270,759, but the violators could recoup their losses if they make up for their excess use in the next 12 months. If they do, the penalties will be credited to their water accounts.

Green also said preliminary August estimates show that city residents overall are conserving, but total water conservation compared with last year will drop below the 20% mark for the first time since the program went into effect. Venturans cut down water use by 26.1% in June and 22.1% in July.

The city’s goal is to cut water use by 30% to make up for the effects of four years of drought that has depleted water reserves.

Green said she believes that the slide in conservation efforts is only temporary and is related to an especially hot summer.

Green said she is pleased that 85% of the city’s water customers are complying with the water ordinance. “I think it’s terrific,” she said. “But there’s some people who need to work harder.”

The water-rate increases are intended to offset the cost of the city’s water conservation program and the loss of revenues from the expected decrease in water use.

Green said residents who succeed in their conservation efforts will not see any increases in their utility bills.

For example, she said, a customer whose previous water use was 2,700 cubic feet paid $24.99 under the old fee structure. An allocation of 2,700 cubic feet under the new rates costs $36.53, an increase of 46% over the old rates.

If, however, the same customer reduced water use by about 30% and used only 1,900 cubic feet, he would pay $24.29 under the new fee structure.