For some, Morada water rate hike hurts

Since losing her job six years ago, Katherine Bittner has lived a modest life in the Morada home she has owned for close to half a century, relying on Social Security checks to make ends meet.

But it’s getting harder. While Bittner’s income is fixed, everything around her has gotten more expensive. And that’s what makes a proposal to raise her water rate from $285 per year to $1,035 per year — a 263 percent increase — so difficult to accept.

“I’m not complaining — I’m better off than a lot of people,” said Bittner, 73. “But if these guys with the government would stop gouging me, I’d be fine. Medical insurance goes up, car insurance, everything goes up, but your income doesn’t. After the first of the year, I’m going to look for a job.”

While Morada often is thought of for large estates fronted by expansive green lawns, Bittner’s story is a reminder that not everyone in the area is equally capable of absorbing a giant water rate hike.

To be clear, what she’s currently paying for water — less than $24 per month no matter how much she uses — is a steal.

And Morada residents may have no one to blame but themselves for the magnitude of the proposed rate hike. Twice before — in 2007 and 2012 — they’ve successfully blocked smaller rate increases, taking advantage of a state law that prevents rate increases if more than 50 percent of customers file protests.

As a result, the county district that supplies this neighborhood with water has been bleeding money. It, too, is on a fixed income, with residents refusing to pay more even as the cost of delivering water increases. By the end of this fiscal year, the district will have a deficit of more than $180,000, county officials say; even if customers agree to pay higher rates, it will be three years before even the smallest amount of savings will be available for emergency repairs or other needs.

If residents reject this third proposal, the county says the only alternative will be to cut costs by providing less water. That could mean a ban on outdoor irrigation.

Officials say they recognize such a substantial increase is a tough sell for someone such as Bittner.

“I literally share her frustration,” said Jim Stone, deputy public works director for San Joaquin County. “But we don’t have any choice. If we get can people to truly understand the situation and the lack of options, we believe they will support it.”

The Board of Supervisors may decide whether to start the rate-setting process on Tuesday. Not all of Morada is affected; the district in question serves 52 homes in the newer, more affluent Black Oaks Estates, and 202 homes in Old Wilkinson Manor, where Bittner lives.

The proposal is mostly the same for both areas of the neighborhood, though Black Oaks residents also will face a charge per unit of water used if they exceed a certain yearly allowance. Overall, their percentage increase is not as high as the older area because they already are paying a metered rate and use large quantities of water.