SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — County leaders are considering allowing the cities of Fallbrook and Rainbow to switch from San Diego County Water Authority to a water district in Riverside County.
The cities say high water increases are hitting our local farmers hard and they are worried rates will continue to rise.
Supporters who spoke during Monday’s public hearing say once the groves are gone, they are not coming back. This is what’s driving the two cities to push for the switch.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, one speaker stated “We are now desperate. The 56,000 residents of Fallbrook and Rainbow are not the villains in this room. It’s actually the water authority. They failed us.”
Tom Kennedy, with the Rainbow Municipal Water District, says he believes if they can bring farmers relief there is hope to retain the local avocado industry.
“We've had a massive loss, especially in avocado, due to high water costs,” says Kennedy. “In the region, over 1 million trees have been lost over the last 15 years, which is a problem. Farmers are having a hard time staying in business because of the high water costs.“
Monday’s public hearing started with a recap of last month's meeting, including the analysis done on the savings and debts of all parties. The report says there would be $7.7 million in savings per year with both cities leaving the San Diego County Water Authority. But SDCWA would lose a combined annual loss of $12.6 million.
One proposal by the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to offset costs would be to give the cities an exit fee. The exit fee would be paid for a minimum of five years, with no impact on other water users around the county.
The San Diego County Water Authority says the amount proposed is not enough to cover the losses if the switch is approved.
During Monday’s meeting, a representative for SDCWA stated, “What we’re seeing here is nearly $6 million being shortchanged by LAFCO staff because they failed to update an old and flawed number. I urge this committee to use updated and current numbers.” The water authority says the impact will continue beyond the suggested five years.
Kennedy adds that the request to switch from SDCWA has been going on for some time. The application was put in a little more than three years ago.
