THOUSAND OAKS : City Rejects Tiered Water Bill System
The Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday rejected a proposed tiered water billing system, saying it would unfairly penalize homeowners with large families or heavily landscaped yards.
The city will maintain its flat rate of $1.54 per unit, with one unit equaling 748 gallons.
City staff had proposed a tiered system that would have charged homeowners who use the most water more per gallon above a preset limit. Under the proposed system, residents would have to pay $1.39 for each of the first 26 units of water they use every two months and then pay $1.79 for each additional unit.
But all five council members agreed the plan was unfair. “I haven’t seen that this would result in water conservation, but only in redistributing the costs from small households to large households,” Mayor Elois Zeanah said.
City Utilities Director Donald Nelson said the tiered rate would have given the homeowners more control over their bimonthly bills.
But critics said residents could reduce their bills by conserving water even under the flat-rate system.
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