AVRWC to stop drought surcharges effective November 1 (October 27, 2015)
APPLE VALLEY — This evening Apple Valley Ranchos announced at the Apple Valley Town Council Meeting that effective November 1, customers will no longer incur a drought surcharge on their bills for water service.
Since we instituted the drought surcharges this summer we have been carefully monitoring the progress on conservation necessary to meet the state-imposed 28 percent cumulative target,
said Leigh Jordan, executive vice president, Apple Valley Ranchos. Now we believe we can remove the drought surcharge as long as our customers keep practicing good conservation through the winter months as well.
At the August 25 Town Council Meeting Jordan told the Town Council that Ranchos went to Stage 2 with drought surcharges because they had anticipated having trouble catching up if they fell behind on conservation targets over the summer. Jordan also explained that Ranchos knew it could revert back to Stage 1 if our customers conserved in such a way that we were going to meet the conservation target.
Many factors contributed to this decision but most all of our customers are to be commended for making changes in their lifestyle and doing their part to conserve,
Jordan said.
Based on the latest comparison to October of 2013, data gathered and analyzed this morning, Ranchos plans to revert to Stage 1 based on:
- the progress achieved by going directly to Stage 2 for the summer months to achieve water conservation in excess of the target, so that the lower levels of conservation which are achievable in the winter will still allow us to meet the target;
- the fact that the CPUC is proposing to take the conservation target into account in setting our rates means the proposed new rates for water service will encourage continued conservation;
- and the expectation that our customers will continue efforts to conserve. Ranchos still needs to achieve reductions from 2013 over the remaining fall and winter months of about 17 to 18 percent to meet the cumulative target.
Ranchos will continue to monitor conservation and would still have to go back to Stage 2 and implement drought surcharges if it looks like we may not meet the conservation targets,
Jordan said. We ask everyone to cooperate and continue to conserve so we don’t have to do that.
CONTACT: Leigh Jordan (562) 299-5107