Water rate hike vote continued to April 2

A proposed increase in city water rates and expenses paid by property owners was continued Monday to the April 2 meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council.

On Monday, the council decided to ask the city finance commission to provide feedback on the suggested hikes.

What was proposed is a series of increases in water costs for not only the water itself, but also a capital charge for the city’s infrastructure including water wells, production and distribution to deal with the maintenance and modernization of a system that’s 30 to 60 years ago.

The impact of the water rate hike would vary by user and volume, but – according to a report by Travis Hopkins, the city’s director of public works – a typical single family user now paying $25 for water and a $11.82 meter charge for a total of $36.92 month would see a hike to $25.99 for the water, a $12.70 meter charge and a new levy of $3 monthly for an increase to $41.69 per month.

That number assumes that the resident uses 12 units of water per month and a standard three-quarter inch meter.

The commodity charge is based on what the city expects to have to pay for water imported and purchased from the Orange County Water District and the Metropolitan Water District. The capital charge would go toward work on the city’s water system.

If approved, the capital charge would go into effect on July 1, 2018.