Farmers Get Discount on State Water

Agricultural users of the Calleguas Municipal Water District are getting a nearly 30% discount on the cost of state-supplied water, restoring prices for farmers to nearly pre-drought levels.

The Metropolitan Water District, which supplies Calleguas with water, decided to cut rates after continued complaints from its agricultural users that prices were too high. MWD ordered Calleguas and its other member agencies to pass on the discount of $137 per acre-foot to farming customers. One acre-foot is enough water to serve the needs of two urban families for a year.

“We recognize that it is important to take care of those people who have made significant investments in Southern California,” MWD spokesman Jay Malinowski said. “The impact on our total budget is not significant, since only 8 or 9% of our users are in the agricultural community.”

Malinowski said the MWD is not worried about meeting water demands this year. But with reservoirs at about 60% of the desired level for this time of year, he said 1995 could be a problem.

Since the 1950s, farmers had received state water at discounted prices. But in 1992, the drought forced state water officials to end the discounts. Also, supplies to agricultural users were cut as much as 50% at the height of the drought.

Calleguas agricultural customers have been paying $471 per acre-foot for treated water. Under the reduction, they will pay $334. About 10% of Calleguas’ total sales are to growers. Don Reeder of Pro-Ag, a farm management company, said the discount was a welcome relief to the citrus and avocado growers in the east county who are Calleguas’ biggest agricultural customers.

“It definitely makes us happy because we come out with cheaper water,” Reeder said. “But it comes at a price, because when there is a drought, we will have our supplies cut immediately by 30%.”

As part of the rate reduction, farmers can expect to have their deliveries cut by 30% in a drought before any mandatory conservation methods are imposed on residences or businesses.

That part of the agreement doesn’t surprise Rex Laird, executive director of the Ventura County Farm Bureau.

“We’re not real thrilled about it, but we’re used to it,” Laird said.

Farm customers in Ventura County already pay a relatively higher price for water than some other Southern California customers because all Calleguas water is treated to adhere to state water quality.

Reeder said avocado and citrus growers usually spend about two-thirds of their annual budget on water. Raising one acre of avocados at pre-reduction prices cost about $1,000.

The discounts “keep us in business,” Reeder said. “But if we go back into drought, we might just have to stump the trees.”

While some Calleguas agricultural customers blend pumped ground water with state water, most are completely reliant on the imported water. Ground water supplies in the eastern part of the county are scarce.

The discount will last only three years--long enough, MWD officials hope, for farmers to start looking for new methods to water their crops.

“We needed some period of time for them to find other sources of water,” said Patrick Miller, president of the Calleguas board and chairman of the MWD agriculture committee.

For the east county’s growers, that new source will probably be reclaimed water, Miller said. Reclaimed water is treated sewage waste water. While it could not be used on a crop such as lettuce, it is acceptable for citrus and avocados.