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By Eric Heinz
As part of the city’s planned water rate structure, non-potable water rates will rise 6 percent and drinking water rates will rise 4 percent, following City Council’s approval of the increases on Tuesday.
The rate increases are part of the city’s planned increases.
The rate increases won’t go into effect until City Council approves them at a second reading. During the meeting, a couple citizens argued against the city’s inclined tiered rates and said that they punish people in multifamily residences by combining estimated population to an increased rate. The city plans to conduct a water study on its current rate system in the near future.
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Last summer the majority of the water customers in San Clemente reduced their water consumption. The few that did not were penalized. This was the result of downstream penalty model driven by the state. It seems the state may not be enforcing this and refunds might soon be on the way like what occurred in San Juan Capistrano. This is not fair to those of us and changed plumbing fixtures, landscape, and daily usage habits to help out.
Going forward perhaps we can find a way to deviate from the state penalty model and instead go to an incentive model. Where those who have reduced their consumption get an earned credit / rebate of some kind. Just some food for thought.
By Eric Heinz 
We live adjacent to the largest body of water in the world and yet the poor state-level policies have manufactured a drought.
I am thankful the city is participating in the Municipal Water District of Orange County’s pilot desalination project. Here’s an article about it – http://patch.com/california/sanclemente/desalination-could-produce-25-percent-of-south-oc-water
Last summer the majority of the water customers in San Clemente reduced their water consumption. The few that did not were penalized. This was the result of downstream penalty model driven by the state. It seems the state may not be enforcing this and refunds might soon be on the way like what occurred in San Juan Capistrano. This is not fair to those of us and changed plumbing fixtures, landscape, and daily usage habits to help out.
Going forward perhaps we can find a way to deviate from the state penalty model and instead go to an incentive model. Where those who have reduced their consumption get an earned credit / rebate of some kind. Just some food for thought.