Four local water agencies have protested a 14.7 percent rate hike imposed by the San Diego County Water Authority in June, according to a published report.
The county water authority said the increase is necessary to pay for rising prices charged by its supplier at the Metropolitan Water District and expand its own supply of water, the North County Times reported.
In the last few years, retail water customers have been hit with double-digit price hikes as the state's drought has made water more scarce. In a letter to the agency, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Rainbow MWD, Sweetwater Authority and the Lakeside Water districts stated that their customers are asking for relief.
The protesting districts said the authority's wholesale water rates have increased by 47.7 percent since 2008.
