Some West Hollywood residents will see their water rates go up if the Beverly Hills City Council approves a proposal increase at its meeting on Tuesday.
The Beverly Hills Drinking Water Enterprise, which furnishes water to households and businesses on part of the west side of West Hollywood, is proposing a two percent hike in what it charges for water.
According to a presentation prepared for the Beverly Hills City Council, the increase will boost the average bi-monthly water bill from $463.71 to $472.89.
The Drinking Water Enterprise serves an area in West Hollywood whose approximate boundaries are Doheny Drive on the west, Sunset Boulevard on the north, Flores Street on the east and on Beverly Boulevard on south.
Beverly Hills has been providing water to the area for decades. In 1928 it purchased the Sherman Water Company, which provided water to the then-unincorporated west side of what was to become West Hollywood. In 1948, Beverly Hills started receiving water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) http://www.mwdh2o.com/, which now serves the rest of West Hollywood. It also operates four groundwater production wells of its own which supply about 10 percent of its water supply.
The rate increase requested by the Drinking Water Enterprise is only for a 12-month period beginning this year and ending in 2015. Typically the Enterprise raises rates only once every two years. In April, the MWD voted to raise its rates for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 fiscal years by a total of 1.5 percent.
The Beverly Hills City Council will meet at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 455 N. Rexford Dr.
I’m sure this is but one of many inevitable water rate increases. Ugh.