Council Cowardice on Water Pricing : Retreat on penalties hurts conservation

The San Diego City Council took an unfortunate step backward when it recently abandoned a tiered water-rate structure designed to reward conservation. If anything, with the possibility of a sixth consecutive year of drought, the city at the end of the water pipeline should be taking more aggressive conservation steps--not retreating.

Mayor Maureen O’Connor had pushed hard for water rates that reward those who conserve and penalize those who don’t. After months of difficult debate, the city succeeded. Under the plan adopted in July, single-family homeowners who reduced water usage at least 20% from what it was in 1989 saved money; those who did not were penalized.

For apartment and condominium dwellers, the decision was more difficult because, with less or no landscaping, there are fewer nonessentials to cut back. But their rates were also tied to conservation. Sewer rates were tied to water conservation on the theory that the less water used, the less water to treat.

The decisions seemed to be important steps toward water realism. After all, San Diego County is dependent on outside sources for 95% of its water.

But three months later, after complaints from the small minority of residents whose rates--particularly for sewer service--jumped dramatically, the council backed off. O’Connor said voluntary conservation efforts made the new rate structure unnecessary.

But O’Connor’s praise was just a thin cover-up for the council’s political cowardice. For, although the voluntary cutbacks have been substantial and impressive, conservation rates are slipping. For the week ending Oct. 13, San Diegans saved just 13.3% over 1989 usage and, for the week ending Oct. 6, the rate was 14.8%, both shy of the 20% goal.

Just seven months ago, San Diegans were wrenched into accepting dramatic changes in lifestyle because five years of drought had been virtually ignored.

San Diegans learned a lot during the process about our water vulnerability. Thousands of low-flow shower heads and ultra-low-flush toilets were installed. Homeowners started choosing drought-tolerant landscaping.

There was even discussion of requiring developers to offset the water usage expected by new homes by helping to finance conservation elsewhere--one of the more promising aspects of the Prevent Los Angelization Now! growth management initiative recently declared unconstitutional.

But, with summer behind us, and our hopes pinned on winter rains, San Diego’s leadership decided political realities were more important than water realities.

If adjustments are needed in the water and sewer rate structure, they should be made. But, as many San Diegans learned this year, we shouldn’t throw out either the baby or the bathwater.