San Andreas, CA…After holding a public hearing Wednesday May 23, 2018, the Calaveras County Water District Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve a rate plan that will increase water and wastewater rates over the next five years fund a sustainable Operating Budget to provide water and sewer services. About 30 people attended the public hearing, and 14 addressed the Board during public comment.

“Today’s decision by the Board, while difficult, was necessary to preserve the District’s fiscal solvency and ensure the District can continue providing safe, reliable water service to the members of our community,” said Scott Ratterman, CCWD Board president. “I’m proud of the work that the District’s staff and Board members have put in over the past year to refine the proposal to minimize the impact on ratepayers. Today’s unanimous approval shows the Board’s trust in staff’s well-thought-out proposal.”

The first of five water and sewer rate increases will take effect on July 16, 2018, and each subsequent increase will take place on July 16 through 2022. For detailed information on the adopted rate plan, go to www.ccwd.org/rates.

Over the past two months, CCWD staff and Board members have undertaken a countywide public outreach campaign. Eight town hall meetings and nearly 20 community meetings were held during that time to ensure customers had the opportunity to understood the proposed rate changes.

“I’m proud of the hard work that that was put into the public outreach,” Ratterman said. “We have a fantastic staff that went above and beyond to provide outreach to the members of every community we serve.”

The District also designed a Rate Calculator to help customers see how their bills will be affected by the five-year rate plan. The Calculator can be accessed at http://ccwd.org/ccwd-rate-calculator/.

For more information about the five-year rate plan, go to www.ccwd.org/rates or call CCWD Customer Service at (209) 754-3543 or email customerservice@ccwd.org.