WRATES UPDATES
April 11, 2019
WRATES Update #50 - Send Email to News Media My apologies for another WRATES Update but we must strike while the iron is hot! Please take time to email the local media outlets listed below that reported on the latest SJWC rate increase request. Thank them for their reporting and let them know there is much more to the story than this rate increase. Let them know the public wants more in depth stories. Encourage them to dig deeper into the relationship between CPUC and SJWC, its parent company SJW, and its subsidiaries SJW Land, & SJWTX. If they hear from enough of us, they might just see how important it is to report on. I know this latest request from SJWC to increase our rates so they can recover $9 million of “under-collection” due to water conservation has got the public upset, angry, frustrated, and infuriated. If you think SJWC collecting $9 million dollars is an outrage, you should be even more upset to know that effective January 1, 2019: 1 - SJWC added a 2019 Balancing and Memorandum surcharge to collect $30 million to collect “under-collections” dating back to 2013 and will stay on our bills for 12 months. The breakdown is as follows:
This $30 million is in addition to the extra $16.4 million SJWC will get from the Service Charge and water usage fees. 2 - SJWC increased our Service Charge rate by 56% 3/4” meter was paying $50.56 per billing cycle and is now paying $79.00 1” meter was paying $84.20 per billing cycle and is now paying $131.66 3 - SJWC is misleading the public and CPUC and is inaccurate when they state that on January 1, 2019, our rates only increased by 1.28%, 4.55%, or 5.12%. The increase is much higher. 4 - SJWC is misleading the public when they blame the CPUC for the latest rate increase by stating to KTVU, "People used less water than the CPUC projected they would back in 2016 during 2018. Which means we were not able to recover all of the revenue that the CPUC thought we would get.” SJWC requests rate increases from CPUC by providing data for CPUC to evaluate. So to recap - CPUC has already approved SJWC to collect $46.4 million more from its customers in 2019 than in 2018 and if they approve this $9 million request it will be $55.4 millions more. Please, please take the time to send emails to the reporter listed below: The Mercury News Emily DeRuy [email protected] San Jose Water Company wants to charge residents more for conserving water https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/09/san-jose-water-company-wants-to-charge-residents-more-for-conserving-water/ KTVU Fox News Kristin Bender [email protected] San Jose water bills could go up, despite years of conservation efforts http://www.ktvu.com/news/ktvu-local-news/san-jose-water-bills-could-go-up-despite-years-of-conservation-efforts KRON News Michelle Kingston [email protected] South Bay residents unhappy over proposed water surcharge https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/south-bay-residents-unhappy-over-proposed-water-surcharge/1913013447 KPIX News John Ramos [email protected] San Jose Water Customers Face Surcharge For Conserving Too Much Water https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/04/09/san-jose-water-customers-face-surcharge-conserving-too-much-water/ And if you haven’t already done so…… Please take the time to contact your local elected officials requesting that they write a letter to Gov. Newsom that the CPUC needs to be reformed. Please take the time to write your own emails to elected officials. The CPUC is failing at the task of regulating. Evan Low Assemblyman https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD28 Jim Beall state senator https://sd15.senate.ca.gov/send-e-mail Gavin Newsom Governor https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/ Rita Benton WRATES, Water Rate Advocates for Transparency, Equity, and Sustainability "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade |
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