Helix Water District Approves Rate Hike

Residents were outraged Wednesday when they learned of the proposed rate hike.

A proposal to drastically increase rates for Helix Water District customers was approved at a public meeting in La Mesa Wednesday night.

The water board passed the proposed 5-year rate hike in a 3 to 2 vote. 

The rate increase between 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 is 9 percent or approximately $6 per month for the average customer, said Jennifer Bryant, Helix District Assistant Director of Administrative Services.

The average customer uses 95 gallons per capita per day, officials said.

Officials said the rates proposed for the following four years will be a rate ceiling dependent on other factors forecasted by the district. 

Officials say they will adjust those rates annually based on performance.

"We take a balanced and conservative approach to forecasting. It’s not an aggressive approach to forecasting. It’s not a worst case scenario,” Bryant said.

Read the board's agenda including a study of the rate increase here.

A packed audience of customers seemed to accept next year's rate hike but were outraged at the board's plan to increase rates over several years without lowering costs for salaries or employee benefits.

helix-water-district-rates-20151
Information provided to customers from the board's Oct. 7 meeting agenda.

Under a mandate from Governor Jerry Brown, the State Water Resources Control Board required that the district reduce its water use over 2013 levels by 20 percent. The district said that through August 2015, its customers have reduced water use by 28 percent over the first three months.

The district said an expected 13.7 percent rate increase on wholesale water from the San Diego County Water Authority for 2015-2106 is reflected in the rate increase. An estimated SDCWA rate increase for 2016-17 through fiscal year 2019-20 will be 8 percent per year. 

Helix Water District serves approximately 267,000 customers in La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, the community of Spring Valley, and various unincorporated areas near El Cajon. The district owns Lake Jennings and Lake Cuyamaca. It also stores water in El Capitan Reservoir.

Less than 20 percent of water is local runoff, according to the district's website. The rest is a blend of imported water from the Colorado River and Northern California.

Contact Us