LAKEWOOD, Calif., March 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD), which provides groundwater for more than 10% of the state’s population, took action yesterday to not increase the groundwater replenishment assessment for the upcoming fiscal year, 2014-15.
“I’m proud of our board of directors and WRD staff that we are able to hold off water rate increases in the face of a serious statewide drought,” stated WRD Director Lynn Dymally.
WRD Treasurer Sergio Calderon added “WRD will be able to keep administrative and operating costs from increasing next year. We hope that WRD’s action to avoid a groundwater assessment rate increase next year will provide near term financial relief as we all address the impacts of the drought.”
Another factor in not increasing the replenishment assessment is WRD’s Water Independence Now (WIN) Program. In conjunction with WRD’s partners the County Sanitation Districts and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, the WIN Program increases the use of recycled water and stormwater runoff to replenish the groundwater supply. The WIN Program will soon eliminate WRD’s demand for replenishment water imported from Northern California and the Colorado River. This effort has already begun providing savings to the cost of managing the groundwater resources, which comprise 40% of the overall water supply in southern Los Angeles County.
“The cost of groundwater is less than a third of the cost of imported water. WRD’s WIN efforts to develop local groundwater replenishment sources will help us to keep groundwater costs low,” stated WRD Board President Rob Katherman.
