On Wednesday, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) held a day-long workshop to examine ways water agencies can adopt best practices and avoid potential pitfalls when developing water pricing models that encourage conservation, and comply with Proposition 218.
On April 1, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency executive order on the drought that directed the State Water Board to promote water conservation pricing mechanisms. Members of the State Water Board heard from several panels of speakers who talked about the state and local systems of water financing. Lester Snow, executive director of the California Water Foundation, advocated for a statewide water fee as well as reform of Proposition 218. Other speakers included Ellen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of California, who said that the recent San Juan Capistrano decision that struck down that city’s tiered water pricing structure violated Proposition 218, and gave the impression that water pricing is a “precise science” when it is in fact somewhat complicated. Also testifying was Dave Bolland, Association of California Water Agencies, who stated that every local water agency has unique circumstances that come into play in its pricing of water.
The workshop was informational and the State Water Board took no action.