DSRSD rewards customers for low summer water use

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The Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) is issuing a $10 “Wise Water User Credit” on the next water bill of 1,078 residential customers who stayed in the lowest water consumption tier throughout the summers of 2013 and 2014, agency officials said Wednesday.

From June 1 to Oct. 31 of each year, the customers’ total household water use was no more than 10 billing units — 7,480 gallons — per two-month billing period. Most district customers used between 8,228 and 25,432 gallons over the same time period.

The $10 water credit is intended to make up for the higher amount that low water users pay under the new drought rate structure, DSRSD spokeswoman Sue Stephenson said.

DSRSD provides potable water service to Dublin and the Dougherty Valley area of San Ramon.

In May, the water district declared a drought and set water rates 35% higher than the previous year to discourage excessive water use. The price of water increases precipitously for users who use the most water, according to the water district’s website.

“The board didn’t think about how (the increased rates) would impact our really wise water users,” Stephenson said. “We didn’t want to penalize people who are already low water users.”

Water board president Georgean Vonheeder-Leopold said overall, the district’s 20,000 customers have cut water use by almost 25% so far this year.

DSRSD offers the following incentives and tools to help residential customers save water:

* Enhanced rebates on pool covers, water-saving toilets and clothes washers, irrigation controllers, and turf removal and replacement with drought tolerant plants;

* An online portal, AquaHawk, where customers can monitor water use and detect leaks; and

* Free recycled water for home landscaping available for pickup at the DSRSD residential recycled water fill station.

DSRSD has implemented Stage 3 water shortage rates and mandatory water use restrictions after its wholesale water supplier, Zone 7 Water Agency, cut 2014 supplies by 25%. Customers may water outdoors no more than once a week in November and must turn off sprinklers in December.

Editor’s Note: Information from the Bay City News Service was used in this report.