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 The conservation plan, approved unanimously by the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors, will charge most consumers in heavy-use
regions including Malibu up to twice their usual rates for any
consumption exceeding allocated amounts by 15 percent, officials
said.
"We generally use a surcharge like this so that people who use over
their allotment will understand this is serious," Supervisor Sheila
Kuehl told a public meeting on the issue.
The water restrictions are aimed at complying with Governor Jerry
Brown's order that the state reduce its urban water use by 25
percent, the first statewide mandatory water-use restriction in
California history.
Because some zones must clamp down more than others to reach the
target, county officials are taking action at the local level. Some
residents had opposed the surcharges, saying the diversity of
households, some small and others large, meant that not all
consumers should be held to the same standard.
For that reason, county supervisors opted to ax an initial proposal
that would have required residents to pay up to three times their
usual rate for consuming 15 percent above the average amount, which
was set at roughly 650 gallons each day per household in Antelope
Valley and 361 gallons per household in Malibu and Topanga Canyon.
Under the plan approved on Tuesday, most users served by the Los
Angeles County Waterworks Districts and the Marina del Rey Water
System must pay one-and-a-half times the usual rate if they
over-consume by 15 percent. Those who consume more than 15 percent
must pay double.
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The move targets the coastal hills of Malibu along with neighboring
Topanga Canyon, which have been asked to cut back consumption by 36
percent, while the desert region of Antelope Valley must reduce
usage by 32 percent.
Residents will be able to appeal the fees if they can prove a need
for extra water, such as owning horses or needing to supply a large
household.
Edel Vizcarra, the planning and public works deputy for Supervisor
Mike Antonovich, who represents Antelope Valley, said the
supervisors would revisit the issue in February. "If it's still dry
and we're still in a drought, I can only imagine that we'd have to
go further," he said.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Mohammad Zargham)
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