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Proposed Water Rate Increase <br /> Background <br /> The City does not own and operate a water treatment plant. Instead, the City relies on <br /> two primary sources for its water supply to its customers: <br /> Local groundwater from four City -owned deep wells accounts for 18 <br /> percent or approximately 3 million gallons per day (mgd) of the water <br /> system's average daily demand of 17 mgd. <br /> Water purchased from Zone 7 of Alameda County Flood Control and <br /> Water Conservation District (Zone 7), accounts for the remaining 82 <br /> percent or 14 mgd of the average daily demand. <br /> The cost of water from Zone 7 and the local groundwater represent approximately 75% <br /> of the City's cost to deliver water to its customers. The last time the City increased water <br /> rates was January 1, 2001. Since that time, Zone 7 has increased the cost of water <br /> purchased by the City approximately 55.25% and the consumer price index has <br /> increased approximately 20.5 <br /> The remaining 25% of the cost of water delivered to a customer includes pumping <br /> charges (electricity), the cost of chemicals, repair and replacement costs of the water <br /> system infrastructure, debt service payments for system capital facilities built over the <br /> past twenty years, and labor costs. These costs have continually risen since January <br /> 1, 2001. <br /> If the rate payers were to absorb the Zone 7 rate increases of 55.25% since 2001 and <br /> the 20.5% increase in the cost of materials, supplies and labor; the increase in water <br /> rates to the average rate payer would be approximately 26.36% as of August 1, 2010. <br /> However, with the reduction in costs and increases in revenues as a result of staffs <br /> auditing and streamlining efforts, and restructuring of water rate classifications and tiers, <br /> the overall water rate increase is approximately 12.57% depending on customer <br /> classification and water consumption. <br /> Vineyard Corridor Costs and a Fourth Tier Water Rate for Single Family Customers <br /> To date, the City has constructed several water related projects in the Vineyard Avenue <br /> Corridor Specific Plan area including over sizing a water storage tank from 1.0 million <br /> gallons to 1.4 million gallons to accommodate the increased demand put on the existing <br /> water system by large residential customers. The water improvements for the Vineyard <br /> Avenue Corridor include the following: <br /> Water Storage Tank $3.3M <br /> Water Improvements 1.3M <br /> Water Storage Reservoir Access Road 1.8M <br /> Water Pump Station 2.7M <br /> Water Turnout No. 6 .4M <br /> Total Water Infrastructure $9.5M <br /> Page 3 of 20 <br />