Readers React: Higher water bills: Yorba Linda’s First World problem

To the editor: My last water bill featured $60 in fixed meter charges and $30 for the actual water consumed, for a total tab of $90. I happily paid it. I enjoy living in the First World where clear, pure water comes to my house. (“Yorba Linda legal fight turns nasty as residents seek to overturn water rate hike,” May 22)

This water bill structure is very similar to my electricity bill, where I am assessed a meter charge for providing power to my house and a separate charge for the energy actually used, reflecting the fact that it costs money to provide a functioning utility no matter how much water or electricity I use.

When I was a director at the Laguna Beach County Water District, we adopted a rate structure that recognized this. In the last drought, we noticed when our customers cut back on their water use our revenues no longer paid our fixed expenses. Repairs and maintenance began to suffer.

It saddens me to see the deep thinkers in Yorba Linda trying to overturn one basic fact: If you want to live in the First World, you have to pay First World expenses to maintain the infrastructure.

J.J. Gasparotti, Laguna Beach

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