The Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD) and the Rainbow Municipal Water District (RMWD) has been paying for the San Diego County Water District (SCWD) infrastructure. All the infrastructure work had been done in the southern areas of the water district, and our towns don't benefit from any of it. Our area should pay for the true cost of the water rather than the rising cost of staying with the SCWD.
Water hikes have hurt our residential/commercial users and put our agriculture out of business. Rainbow, Fallbrook and Bonsall’s agricultural areas have been closing down due to the water expenses. While our areas were once known for green avocado groves, we are now surrounded by fields of unwatered trees. The failed avocado groves have negatively impacted our local character. This damages our property values as our water rates rise 8% per year.
We are closer to the Riverside Metro Water District (RMWD) and would benefit form joining that district. Our districts can follow the process outlined in the law that created the SDCWA, which grants agencies the right to leave. We have the same water, treatment plants and pipelines as RMWD and should be within their district. Our water sources will be reliable due to the Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) review. The review showed that we could use the Santa Margarita River Project water and our district’s move will make the remaining SDCWA water more reliable. Other water districts would only pay 50 cent more per water meter rather than our area paying higher and higher rates for our water.
RMWD GM Kennedy and FPUD Public Affairs Specialist Noelle Denke fielded questions after the presentation.