LB Water Comm'n To Hold Special Meeting Monday <nobr>May 11,</nobr> Could Extend Two-Day-Per-Week-Watering Schedule Thru Summer (Effectively Year-Round); Stage 2 Water Supply Shortage Allows -- But LB Water Dept. Staff Says It's NOT Recommending On Monday -- Rate Increase Up To 25% To Offset Decreased Water Usage

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LB Water Comm'n To Hold Special Meeting Monday May 11, Could Extend Two-Day-Per-Week-Watering Schedule Thru Summer (Effectively Year-Round); Stage 2 Water Supply Shortage Allows -- But LB Water Dept. Staff Says It's NOT Recommending On Monday -- Rate Increase Up To 25% To Offset Decreased Water Usage

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(May 8, 2015) -- LB's Board of Water Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Monday May 11 at 9 a.m. (Water Dept. HQ, 1800 E. Wardlow Rd.) at which it could declare a "Stage 2 Water Supply Shortage" that would extend LB's winter-period two-day-per-week watering schedule (potable water landscape irrigation only on Mondays and Thursdays) through the summer months, effectively making it effective year-round. (Under the existing Stage 1 shortage, residents could water three days per week during summer months.)

Under the agency's Water Conservation and Water Supply Shortage Plan" (adopted in 2010, updated in 2011), declaration of a Stage 2 Water Supply Shortage also lets the Water Dept. enact aditional measures ("other prohibited uses as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion.")

In addition, declaring a Stage 2 water supply shortage also allows -- but a spoksperson for LB's Water Dept. tells LBREPORT.com that staff isn't recommending on May 11 -- an increase in water rates "by an amount necessary to offset lost revenue, as determined by the Board, but not to exceed 25% above the pre-shortage rate."

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In an agendizing memo, Water Dept. staff tells the Board that the fiscal impact of declaring the Stage 2 water supply shortage and extending the two-day-per-week watering restrictions could mean a "potential reduction in revenue from loss of sales" but doesn't recommend or request a rate increase with the May 11 board action. Staff's memo says the alternative to a Stage 2 water shortage declaration was to "do nothing" which would mean "potential surcharges from the Metropolitan Water District, and potential penalties imposed by the California State Water Resources Control Board."

The LB Water Dept. says on its Facebook page: "Long Beach residents are invited to share input on achieving state's water reduction targets."

In order to meet Governor Brown's April 1 Executive Order requiring a statewide decrease of 25% in water consumption, the CA Water Resources Control Board has issued rules (based on a community's previous water consumption) requiring the Long Beach Water Dept. to reduce its potable water use by 16% (the same reduction as the L.A. Department of Water and Power) or face possible fines of up to $10,000 per day.

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The City of Lakewood (at one point slated to make a 16% reduction) was ultimately ordered in the state agency to make a 20% reduction. Seal Beach and Compton will only have to cut back by 8%. (Compton filed a sternly worded opposition that told the state agency that if Compton were fined for exceeding its limit, its low income residents would face rate increases they couldn't afford.)

Some cities have it much worse. The CA Water Service Co. of Palos Verdes, the Cities of Beverly Hills are among communities that will have to conserve 36%. Newport Beach and South Pasadena have to cut back by 28%.

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