North Yuba changes water rates

For the first time in decades, the North Yuba Water District voted to increase its water rates for the nearly 900 connections in the Yuba County foothills.

Manager Bill Suppa said the change was necessary because the current rates are not fair to all customers.

"We've got some people paying for water they don't use," he said. "Now, they'll pay for how much they use."

Customers were paying a base price of $64 every two months for 4,000 cubic feet of water and 30 cents for each additional 100 cubic foot. One cubic foot of water contains 7.48 gallons.

The new rates approved Thursday call for a $38 base price and 75 cents per additional 100 cubic feet.

Suppa said the water district was paying more to produce water than it was charging customers. The new rates, he said, are set up like most city water agencies.

Suppa said customers were notified of the potential change and given a chance to object. If 50 percent, plus one, objected to the change, the changes would not become effective.

Suppa said they received some written objections, but mostly support.

Janine Niccoli, of Dobbins, was among those opposing the changes.

"All our expenses are increaing," she said. "Gas, food and now water, it's killing us."

With the new rates, she said, her water bill will increase by 10 percent to more than $800 each year.

Niccoli said she and her husband are on a fixed income and this increase will only add to her expenses.

"I'm making money that's going nowhere," she said.

Niccoli said because the revisions were approved, she'll still need to get water to her fruit trees and livestock on her eight acres of land. That means sacrifices will be made elsewhere.

"Doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere this summer," she said.

Suppa said the current rates were put in place when the water district was formed in the 1950s and were meant to guarantee income to the district to help pay for the loan to build the water treatment plant.

North Yuba, formerly Yuba County Water District, is headquartered in Brownsville.

The district covers about 190 square miles, of which 25 square miles are developed and protected by a fire hydrant system.

The district primarily serves Challenge, Brownsville, Rackerby and Forbestown.

This is a corrected version of the story that appeared in print. Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Andrea Koskey at 749-4709 or akoskey@appealdemocrat.com