Residents protest against possible increase in water and sewerage fees | Featured

CALEXICO — At the packed Calexico City Hall, one citizen after another could be seen taking a public stand against the planned increases in water and sewer fees for nearly two hours.

At a special meeting of the Calexico City Council last Wednesday, the results of a water and sewer rate study conducted by consulting firm Willdan Financial Services on behalf of the city showed a planned increase in consumer prices over a five-year period, from fiscal year 2025 (beginning July 1, 2024) to fiscal year 2029 (ending June 30, 2029).

“The purpose of developing the 5-year projections is to demonstrate the financial capacity of water and wastewater revenues to support system operations and fund planned capital improvements,” says Willdan's report, titled “Comprehensive Water and Wastewater Cost Study.”

“The purpose of developing the 5-year forecast is to demonstrate the financial capacity of water and wastewater revenues to support system operations and fund planned capital improvements,” it says.

The monthly base rate for a primary dwelling would increase from the current $18.66 for the primary dwelling plus $9.33 for additional dwelling units to $22.52 for the primary dwelling/$22.52 for additional dwelling units, and would continue to increase each year for the next few years ($24.77 in 2025, $27.24 in 2026, $29.70 in 2027 and $32.38 in 2028), the report said. Residential volume rates would increase from $2.15 to $2.39 per 100 cubic feet for residential use, and would also increase each year ($2.63 in 2025, $2.89 in 2026, $3.15 in 2027 and $3.43 in 2028), the report said.

The existing monthly sewer fee schedules show a fixed fee of $44.23 for the first dwelling unit/$22.11 for additional dwelling units, increasing for residents to $58.71 for the first dwelling unit/$58.71 for additional dwelling units. No residential volume fees per 100 cubic feet are listed, according to the schedules. The five-year forecast shows sewer fees for residents increasing to $79.26 in 2025, $80/$85 in 2026, $82.47 in 2027, and $84/$12 in 2028, with additional dwelling units incurring the same fees in each case.

The published charts also show current and forecast tariffs for non-residential buildings.

According to the report, “Existing water pricing consists of 1) a monthly fixed fee that specifies the minimum amount a customer pays regardless of their water usage and 2) a uniform volumetric price per 100 cubic feet. The monthly fixed fee varies by meter size. Volumetric pricing varies by customer type and includes a uniform price for all water usage by those respective customers, so the price per 100 cubic feet remains the same regardless of the amount of water used.”

“Existing wastewater rates consist of 1) a monthly fixed fee (flat monthly charge) that applies to all residential customers per dwelling unit regardless of their consumption, 2) a monthly fixed fee for all commercial customers that sets the minimum amount they must pay per bill, and 3) a volume fee for commercial customers per 100 cubic feet that covers the cost of treating and disposing of the wastewater,” the report states. “The volume fee for commercial customers varies depending on the strength of each customer's wastewater classification.”

“Private customers only pay a monthly flat rate and therefore do not pay a volume tariff based on their respective wastewater impact like commercial customer groups,” it says.

The financial report noted that the increases were necessary to finance both capital projects and to pay off the city's “outstanding debts.”

“The city currently has water and sewer utility debt. Based on the city's current bond agreements, it must maintain a debt service coverage ratio of 1.20 times net revenue annually. Simply put, this means that for every dollar of debt service it must pay on existing debt, the utilities must generate $1.20 in net operating revenue,” the report said.

“Based on discussions with and guidance from city staff, it is also expected that the city may incur additional debt during the forecast period to provide financing for capital projects identified in the CIP,” it said.

The report lists about 13 projects under “Water CIP”, and prices are given for three of them.

The three projects with dollar amounts listed in the report are a “water main replacement” ($2,190,300 in 2025, $2,299,800 in 2026, $2,414,800 in 2027, $2,535,500 in 2028, $2,662,300 in 20290); “water equipment” [unspecified] ($262,500 in 2025, $275,600 in 2026, $289,400 in 2027, $303,900 in 2028, and $319,100 in 2029); and “Pump Replacement Plan” ($315,000 in 2025, $330,800 in 2026, $347,300 in 2027, $364,700 in 2028, $382,900 in 2029).

According to the report, the total annual amounts for the city's three aforementioned water projects would be $2,767,800 in 2025, $2,906,200 in 2026, $3,051,500 in 2027, $3,204,100 in 2028 and $3,364,300 in 2029.

The other 10 projects listed without a price are: “chlorine analyzer,” “new treatment and filtration system,” “storage tank baffle repairs,” “raw water reservoir improvements,” “east side storage tank improvements,” “water distribution expansion,” “hypochlor conversion,” “VFD replacement,” “WTP, reservoir pump repairs,” and the “water/wastewater tariff study” itself—all with no cost listed and with “cash” listed as the funding source.

For four of the eleven wastewater projects listed, prices were listed in the report, some with annual increases, others without.

The four projects were listed as follows: “Rehabilitation of Lift Stations Nos. 9 and 11” ($6,826,100 in 2025 only); “Sewer Manhole/Collector System” ($1,575,000 in 2025, $1,653,800 in 2026, $1,736,400 in 2027, $1,823,300 in 2028, $3,828,800 in 2029); “Wastewater Equipment” ($262,500 in 2025, $275,600 in 2026, $289,400 in 2027, $303,900 in 2028, $638,100 in 2029); and “Cash/Debt” for “Wastewater Plant Expansion/Upgrading” are reported at $26,303,600 in 2025 and $24,144,800 in 2026, respectively.

The total wastewater project costs to the city projected in the report for the four projects are $34,967,200 in 2025, $26,074,200 in 2026, $2,025,800 in 2027, $2,127,200 in 2028 and $4,466,900 in 2029.

Other planned projects listed in the report without specifying costs include “UV Disinfection System Upgrade,” “Laboratory Equipment Replacement,” “Compactor, Screen, Sand Trap,” “Lift Station No. 1 Replacement,” “Indoor Video Surveillance/Sewer Collection Pipes,” “Wastewater Collection Master Plan,” and the “Water/Wastewater Fee Study.”

Public reaction

In the public comments that followed the meeting, citizen after citizen not only complained vehemently about the potential fee increases, but also made valid arguments. For example, some called for the agenda item to be moved to a later meeting and asked the City Council to look more closely at the study and the claims it contains before making decisions that would affect ratepayers.

“I tried to arrange a meeting to discuss this very matter, but I was not allowed to meet. — “That says something about the transparency of the city here,” said Ben Horton, a Calexico resident and member of the Calexico Economic Development Commission.

“One thing I want to ask: Our lawyer gave us the information on how to file a protest or something like that. How many people got information on how to do that properly? Anyone?” he asked the packed courtroom. “Nobody. Nobody.”

“That is one of the things I want to say: transparency. That is the key word — Transparency,” Horton said. “If you want people to know what's going on, inform people so they can make the right decisions.”

“You're here now because of your water rates and I tell all of you, you have the right to be here, you have the right to question that. And I'm questioning that,” he said. “So how did we publicize that, the proper protocols to file a complaint about the water or sewer rates? These water and sewer raids are controlled by the state. There are certain things you have to do to make it work. It's not like you can just say, 'Hey, I'm going to raise it, that's it, and we'll justify it with the proper presenters to say that's OK.' No. The state certainly has a pretty complicated deal that you have to go through.”

Horton said he would try again to get the Economic Development Commission to meet in a financial advisory capacity for the city.

“I'm an engineer and it took me six months to understand this,” said Calexico resident Norma Vega at the start of the long series of public comments in Spanish. “And you're supposed to present this in five minutes? Nobody will understand,” she said to applause from the assembled crowd.

“Since the first project was presented in 2018, I have been saying exactly that what they presented was not right, but nobody listened to me,” Vega said. “Here at City Hall, I have not seen an engineer reviewing plans to help us here. So how can we understand a project of this type if we do not have prepared people? It is really a shame.”

“As for water, they keep raising rates and we don't know where the money from those increases is going,” she said. “Everything has been raised bit by bit, including property taxes, year after year. — And where does the benefit of that money go? That's what we need to know. Where does it go? Who knows? Into someone's pocket? Or simply, how is it being used? We don't know.

“I'm very disappointed,” Vega continued. “I've been here for 30 years and I want the money to go to improving the city… but it looks like we're in Mexicali. Our streets are destroyed. Absolutely nothing has improved in the city, absolutely nothing.”

“That's why I think that when these projects are presented, there needs to be a technical team that can revise (the plans),” she said.

In front of Calexico City Hall, a resident collected signatures for a petition against the increase in water prices.

Tensions increased as some public commentators became more persistent and louder as the comments progressed, with Mayor Camilo Garcia urging those whose speaking time had expired to — The crowd expressed their displeasure at the shortening of the comments —The city council ultimately decided to postpone the matter to a later date.