January 8, 2013 > Water District to hold hearing on rate increase Water District to hold hearing on rate increase Submitted By Sharene Gonzales The Alameda County Water District (ACWD) will host a public hearing on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 6 p.m., at which the Board of Directors is expected to adopt new rates for the 2013 calendar year. The proposed service charge increase will provide revenue required for water main replacements and infrastructure retrofits which will safeguard water supply reliability in the event of an earthquake. Beginning February 1, 2013, the fixed rate on the bimonthly (every 2 months) water bill for the typical residential customer will increase about 24.5 cents per day (17.1%). Average residential customers will see an increase of $14.93 (from $14.93 to $29.86) to their bimonthly charge. The commodity rate is not increasing, remaining at $3.152 per unit (one unit is equivalent to 748 gallons). "Replacement and improvements to water main pipelines are a significant investment," said Walt Wadlow, ACWD General Manager. "Planning and preparing for a large-scale earthquake in the Tri-City area is a proactive measure," added Wadlow. The investment Wadlow refers to is a minimum of $400 million dollars needed to pay for infrastructure improvements that include: ? Replacing aging infrastructure as ACWD nears its centennial in order to maintain water supply reliability and maintain adequate water flows for fire protection. ? Seismically retrofitting pipelines in order to reduce water service disruptions after a major earthquake. The District has taken several measures to control costs which have helped avoid an increase in the commodity rate, including: securing grants; debt refinancing; and optimizing operations to minimize imported water purchase costs. Even with the new rates, ACWD water rates remain among the lowest in the Bay Area. The public hearing will be held at ACWD Headquarters Board Room located at 43885 S. Grimmer Blvd., Fremont, 94538. For more information on the District, visit: www.acwd.org or call (510) 668-4200. Water Rate Hearing Thursday, Jan 10 6 p.m. ACWD Headquarters 43885 S. Grimmer Blvd., Fremont (510) 668-4200 www.acwd.org