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Grover Beach seeking 112% water, sewer rate increase

September 14, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

In an attempt to deal with rising costs and the need for capital improvements, Grover Beach is proposing a 112% increase in water and sewer rates.

At its meeting on Sept. 5, a consultant recommended the Grover Beach City Council raise their rates to cover the cost of Central Coast Blue, a recycled water project designed to establish a dependable water supply for residents and businesses of Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach. The city is also in need of critical sewer system upgrades.

At the current rates, Grover Beach will fall $2 million short of its share of Central Coast Blue costs and other water and wastewater obligations beginning in 2024, with the projected deficit increasing in subsequent years.

“Preserving our water resources and sustaining our infrastructure remains a pressing obligation for our community,” said Grover Beach Mayor Karen Bright. “The proposed rate adjustments are integral to securing the sustained fulfillment of our City’s critical infrastructure demands well into the future.”

City staff is proposing a 19.7% annual water and sewer rate increase for four years, along with a 4% increase in the fifth year.

The Grover Beach City Council will initiate the Proposition 218 public noticing process on Sept. 25. Subsequently, a public hearing will be held on Nov. 13 for the council to adopt the new rate structure.


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So going forward will we have a wastewater bill AND a Recycled Water bill from different agencies?


1

Grover Beach does not need to pay for infrastructure for Centrsl Coast Blue. Grove along with Arroyo Grande, and Oceano) already have a WWTP with infrastructure in place

Once the Redundancy Project is completed,, the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District can add a Recycled Water Process for a fraction of what they are paying to CCB.


Advantages to the District are:

Cost for member agencies to produce recycled water.Fraction of cost with CCB


More administrative control of recycled water


Better control of resultant Brine discharge( currently revenue from brine discharge is over $200000 per year


Coastal Commission approved Redundancy Project through 2054.


Recent Environmental Rebiew process completed for RP and CCB. No worries there


Why not run recycled water process at existing SSLOCSD WWTP?. Get the most for your money


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I’d rather pay now than place our children in debt. That’s fiscal responsibility.


-9

You will pay now and your children will pay more also. The ? everyone should ask is why does the US give free money to other countries even our enemies and not for our country first? Thought Bidenomics was solving the infrastructure problen as Biden says it will?


11

The options are increasing rates, taking on debt that will have to be paid plus interest in the future by more significant rate increases, or dangerous water scarcity.


U.S. foreign aid has always been a drop in the bucket, we could eliminate it tomorrow and the congressional budget office would barely notice. However it buys us a lot – increases world security, stops disease, and uplifts millions who would otherwise be refugees. I shouldn’t need to explain that not only is this a moral good, but it also saves money in the long run.


You can Google “SLO county infrastructure bill” and it doesn’t take long to learn about the +100 local projects being federally funded. We both agree that the feds shouldn’t be funding literally everything under the sun, so no point blaming Biden for Grover sewer rates.


1

ouch


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