THOUSAND OAKS : Council OKs Hike in Water Charges
About 13,000 Thousand Oaks customers could see water bills jump by as much as $5.25 a month after the City Council decided to increase rates beginning Dec. 1.
The council voted 4 to 0 Tuesday night to pass along rate increases from its main water supplier, the Calleguas Municipal Water District. Councilman Alex Fiore was absent.
The increase is needed to pay for a 28% hike in the cost of wholesale water that the city buys from Calleguas.
In July, Calleguas began charging $347 per acre-foot of water, and the city has been using reserves to pay for the higher cost instead of raising rates, said Don Nelson, city utilities director.
For Thousand Oaks, the higher prices mean that water costs will jump 21 cents, from 92 cents to $1.13, for every hundred cubic feet used. A hundred cubic feet is equal to about 748 gallons.
New rates will add about $5.25 to a typical monthly water bill of $28.50.
Two private water companies that serve the Newbury Park and Westlake areas have already raised rates to pay for higher water costs.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
