San Carlos residents concerned over water rates

“There was a notation in a previous bill that there were going to be rate reductions for certain amounts of water being used,” Castle said during public comment at the Aug. 12 City Council meeting. “It didn’t say that there would be a substantial increase of this magnitude for those of us who are using relatively medium amounts of water.”

Rates used to be tiered between 1-7 units at $7.24 a unit, 8-10 units at $9.05 a unit, and the highest tier was rated $13.5652 for use over 10 units. Now there are four tiers, with lower rates for lower units used.

The new tiered system charges $3.45 per unit from 1-6 units, $13.73 per unit from 7-9 units, $17.16 per unit from 10-13 units, and $25.73 per unit above that.

According to a public notice placed in the San Francisco Examiner July 16, 2021, the rate changes would begin January 2023 for a three-year period. The proposed increase in revenue was meant to fund infrastructure improvements, water system maintenance, water quality initiatives, safety measures, business operations and keep pace with inflation.

When the rate adjustments were included in a notice sent to residents two years ago, the changes were pitched to “average rate payers” as a lower bill, resident Stephan Wexler said. Cal Water defines average usage at 7 centum cubic feet or units.

Residents such as Castle and Wexler believe that the notice provided was ultimately misleading, failing to capture what the new tier system would mean for each residence.

Though the city doesn’t have jurisdiction over these rates, as they are set by Cal Water and the California Public Utilities Commission, Mayor John Dugan said that even if the motivation to promote water conservation could be applauded, the frustration over minimal notification can be understood.

“They clearly have decided that heavy water users are going to pay a lot more and the average user is going to pay less,” Dugan said. “It’s a big policy shift, a significant policy shift and one that, I would say, warranted more outreach and probably input.”

Concerned residents reaching out to Cal Water are often met with suggestions to check for leaks, or someone will come out to do an in-person meter reading to determine if the meter is functioning properly, said resident Joanne Trefcer, who was charged just under $600 this previous billing period.

Neighboring Belmont's —that gets its water from Mid Peninsula Water District — highest tier is not reached until 21 units, at $14.07 a unit. In Atherton, which Cal Water does serve, the highest tier begins at 36 units of usage, charged at $17.49 per unit.

In nearby cities, peaks start at over twice the water usage in San Carlos, and those peaks are often charged a lower rate per unit than what Cal Water is charging.

“I’ve been in San Carlos for the last two years, and I’ve lived in Belmont and Redwood Shores for the 14 years prior to that,” said Justin Grant during public comment at the Aug. 12 City Council meeting. “I’ve had zero issues with water in either of those cities.”

While northern cities may have differing climates that demand different water usage, such as in South San Francisco that has the same rate and tier system as San Carlos, residents admit the need to conserve as much as possible.

However, Wexler said it’s not that easy when there’s six people living in a home. Though his family conserves as much as they can with drip irrigation and artificial turf installed in their yards, dishwasher and laundry loads, as well as shower usage, are unavoidable.

He said it is rare that his family does not reach that high-tier level.

“To be punished for having a larger family doesn’t seem fair in any way,” Wexler said. “It’s very frustrating. They don’t take into account how many people live there. It’s just a one-size-fits-all policy that isn’t fair.”

San Carlos City Council agreed unanimously to receive a presentation from Cal Water at an upcoming meeting. They also will invite representatives from the CPUC to provide larger context of their approval of these rate increases.

“This is the kind of shock that I have not seen in all my years living on the Peninsula when it comes to water rates,” Castle said. “The city would like some answers. The rate payers would like some answers.”

ana@smdailyjournal.com

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Note to readers: This story has been updated to reflect the cancellation of the Aug. 26 San Carlos City Council meeting. The next San Carlos City Council meeting is slated for Sept. 9. It also also been updated to properly attribute a quote previously attributed to Ken Castle.