Water Replenishment District Finance Committee Recommends No Rate Increase

LAKEWOOD, Calif., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Finance Committee of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California today decided to recommend the Board of Directors not increase the District's replenishment assessment* (RA) for the fiscal year 2012-2013.

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At its May 4, 2012 meeting, the Board of Directors will hold its 10th and final budget hearing and workshop, where it will make its final decision on the 2012-2013 replenishment assessment. The zero increase scenario has been a consideration since the first workshop of the series. These public meetings have been well attended by stakeholders, residents, local leaders, and community and environmental advocates. The workshops have provided the public the opportunity to give direct and important feedback to help influence the budget process and shape the final budget.

"WRD has now held 9 consecutive public meetings to insure transparency, and we have heard from members of the public throughout the district," said Finance Committee Chair and Board Treasurer Sergio Calderon. "We think our recommendation reflects a combination of thoughtful public input, belt tightening, and expert analysis that will insure water will continue to be safe, reliable and affordable for struggling ratepayers."

Finance Committee Member and Board President Albert Robles said "We are cognizant of the fact that many of the people we serve are facing difficult economic times and that the cost of water should not come at the expense of other necessities like food or medicine." "WRD is committed to maintaining affordable water rates despite the increases next year in rates from the Metropolitan Water District and the Central Basin Municipal Water District," concluded Robles.

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the regional groundwater management agency that protects and preserves the quantity and quality of groundwater for two of the most utilized urban basins in the State of California. The service area is home to over ten percent of California's population residing in 43 cities in southern Los Angeles County. WRD is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors which includes Willard H. Murray, Jr., Robert Katherman, Lillian Kawasaki, Sergio Calderon, and Albert Robles.

For more information, please visit WRD at www.wrd.org

*The Replenishment Assessment, or RA, is the amount of money a groundwater pumper pays for each acre foot of water extracted from the groundwater supply. An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons of water, which is about enough for two average households for an entire year.

SOURCE Water Replenishment District of Southern California