Get ready to pay more for your water

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) is notifying customers that a Water Budget program will become effective July 1st. the action was authorized by the LVMWD in response to a third consecutive year of below average rainfall and judicial restrictions on pumping water to Southern California, resulting in a reduction in allotted supply announced by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Single family residential customers will start each eight week billing cycle with a base allotment of 16 billing units (nearly 12,000 gallons) for indoor use. An additional outdoor budget will be added, based on the size of the property served and the parcel group to which it is assigned. The indoor amount will remain the same, but the outdoor amount will vary; more in the warm weather months, less during cooler months. Water used above the budgeted amount will be subject to an excess use surcharge of $3 per billing unit (748 gallons), in addition to the existing scheduled costs.

There will be a limited basis for appeals of the budgeted amounts, such as for a large number of people in a household, livestock, medical needs, the presence of a licensed childcare or health care facility, or a change of use in a commercial property. There will not be additional allocations for pools, spas, gardens, in home businesses or hobbies that use increased amounts of water.