Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Helene Brazier writes that only those who have attended long past RMWD meetings know how the system works. Whoa — not so fast, Helene! Since you are quick to criticize others, you should first get your facts straight.
You state that ALL Ag discounts come from sources other than Rainbow. While it is true that MWD — Rainbow’s water provider — does discount water rates to Ag users, what you apparently don’t understand is a basic billing concept called “Meter Ratios.” A meter ratio is a way of determining how much each Rainbow customer pays in fixed costs. These fixed charges go to operate the district. Meter Ratios are complex, but, simply put, the larger your water meter, the more fixed charges you pay. Agriculture users have larger water meters, so they pay a higher fixed cost, but in RMWD they pay much LESS than what a reasonable person would expect. For example, if a large water user has a meter that can handle 10 times the water of a domestic user, then his cost to operate the district would logically be 10 times as much. (This has nothing to do with the cost of the water itself.) But because of policy decisions by past Ag-controlled water boards, that typical agricultural water user pays only about two and one-half times as much as the average homeowner, not the 10 times he logically should.
The Rainbow Board majority controls the Meter Ratios, and hence controls the discount to Agriculture. Mr. Hatfield and his sharp-tongued supporters have made it clear that they favor current Meter Ratios that give Ag a tremendous “discount” over domestic water users. Every domestic RMWD ratepayer should understand that today his water bills are higher because they involuntarily subsidize agriculture. Mr. Hatfield and his supporters would like to increase that subsidy. Don’t let them do it. Attend board meetings and let your feelings be known.
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