NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), chair of the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, will join the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee for a joint oversight hearing regarding the affordability of water.
The hearing, “Keeping Water Rates Affordable,” is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, in Room 437 of the State Capitol.
“Ensuring clean and reliable water is important, but it’s time to examine what the State can do to ensure that all populations have fair access to this fundamental resource,” said Yamada. “Seniors and others on fixed incomes continue to pay more for basic necessities, but unlike food and medication, there are few programs providing relief for large water rate increases.”
In recent years, California’s investor-owned water utilities have submitted requests to the California Public Utilities Commission to approve water rate increases ranging from 7 percent to 45 percent in order to improve water infrastructure and reliability.
However, these requests require closer inspection to ensure that the increases do not disproportionately affect low-income or fixed income populations such as seniors, Yamada's office reported.
For example, in Lucerne, Cal Water filed a request for a water increase of 77 percent over three years after the company had already raised their rates in prior years. Although this case has reached a pending settlement agreement, there is no guarantee against future rate hikes.
Panelists include representatives from the California Public Utilities Commission, Cal Water, Sacramento Suburban Water District and Lake County Supervisor Denise Rushing, whose district includes the Lucerne area.
Discussion will focus on meeting the needs of an aging and diversifying population as well as finding solutions to balance water rates and low-income affordability for both consumers and industry.
For more information, contact the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee at 916-319-3990.
Yamada represents all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.