A vote on basic service charges and water consumption rates was at the top of the agenda at last night’s Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency meeting and public hearing in Landers. Reporter Mike Lipsitz was there and tells us what it means for ratepayers in Landers and Flamingo Heights…
In Landers last night, directors at the Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency passed the proposed rate changes. A prop 218 public hearing preceded the vote with about 10 members of the public participating, about half of those joined remotely via Zoom.
In order to stop the increase, the water district would have had to receive protest letters from 50% plus one of its customers objecting to the rate increase. Only one letter of protest was received. It came from a senior with concerns that her bill would become unaffordable. As it turns out, this customer’s bill would decrease under the new rates.
The new rates go into effect almost immediately and will be adjusted annually on January 1 for the next five years. With the new rates, most residential water users in Landers and Flamingo Heights will see a reduction in their water bill. Agricultural and commercial users, which account for much greater per capita consumption, will see significant increases in their water charges. Whether or not the new rates will have any effect on the recent proliferation of illegal pot farms remains to be seen.
