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Trial Challenging MWD Rates Concludes in Superior Court
Water Authority awaits ruling on amount of damages owed by MWD
The second phase of the Water Authority's landmark rate case against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ended on Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court. A tentative decision is anticipated by June, and a final ruling is expected by August.
A ruling in Phase 2 will determine the amount of damages the Water Authority should be awarded as a result of MWD's breach of its contractual obligation to set legal rates. The Water Authority has calculated that MWD has overcharged San Diego County ratepayers tens of millions of dollars each year since 2011. Whatever damages the Water Authority receives, its Board of Directors has already determined that the agency will deduct its litigation expenses and return the remaining money to its 24 member agencies in proportion to their payment of MWD's illegal overcharges over the four years in dispute.
Phase 2 also will determine whether MWD miscalculates the Water Authority's preferential right to MWD water. Each MWD member agency has a preferential right -- or legal entitlement -- to a percentage of MWD's available water supplies based on a provision in the MWD Act. The preferential rights issue is significant because MWD has understated the San Diego region's right to purchase water by tens of thousands of acre-feet a year -- more than the annual production capacity of the $1 billion Carlsbad Desalination Project that is expected to begin commercial water deliveries this fall.
For more information about the Water Authority's lawsuits, including court documents, go to www.sdcwa.org/mwdrate-challenge.
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Water Authority and SDG&E Streamline Rebate Process for Water-Saving Appliance
Savings of $135 available on high-efficiency clothes washers with one application
As part of the regional response to severe drought conditions, the Water Authority and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) have teamed up to streamline the rebate process for qualifying high-efficiency clothes washers. Residents in SDG&E's service area can now receive two rebates totaling $135 per high-efficiency clothes washer using one application at www.SoCalWaterSmart.com. Previously, customers needed to complete two applications to receive rebates of $85 and $50.
Clothes washing is among the most water-intensive activities inside a typical home, accounting for 22 percent of home water use, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. High-efficiency clothes washers (HEWs) use 65 percent less water and 55 percent less energy than conventional clothes washers, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council. The water savings for each residential HEW can be as much as 11,000 gallons per year.
Click here for more details.
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Tip-a-Day Campaign for
Water Awareness Month
May is Water Awareness Month, and with state-mandated cuts in water use starting June 1, the Water Authority will post water conservation tips on social media daily.
Help us spread these #waystosavewater to your networks. Follow the Water Authority on Facebook and Twitter today!
 
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