Claiming increased operating costs, aging infrastructure and increased customer demand, Turlock Irrigation District took steps at its Nov. 5 meeting to move forward with increases in their volumetric water rates — the first rate increase since 2015.
According to a rate study prepared by NewGen Strategies and Solutions, a consulting firm headquartered in Texas, TID would restructure its water-rate design by consolidating tiers 1, 2, 3 into a single rate, while Tier 4 would have a cost-justified rate. Also, garden heads — typically five-acre parcels that are provided water on rotations about every two weeks — would move from a fixed fee to the irrigation rate structure. Finally, TID would establish a minimum fee of $200 per year, per irrigator.
“We’re showing a zero percent revenue increase need for your domestic water system,” NewGen’s Eric Callicchio told TID board members. “And an overall 6.2 percent increase need over those three years for your irrigations system. What that looks like is a 2 percent irrigation revenue increase over the next three years (2025-27).”
The current normal-year fixed fee of $60 an acre ($68 in dry years), while Tier 1 is $2 per acre, Tier 2 is $3, Tier 3 is $15 and Tier 4 is $20. Under the new guidelines, there would be no changes to the normal-year and dry-year prices during 2025-27, while tiers 1-3 (up to available water) would be $2.70 in 2025, $3.23 in 2026, and $3.83 in 2027. Tier 4 (over available water) would be $20 in each of those years.
NewGen used a 40-acre parcel as an example to show what the impacts would be on customers.
A small irrigator who uses only 18 inches of water would see an increase of less than 2 percent during the three years. An irrigator that uses 33 inches of water would see an increase of less than 2 percent the first year and increases of 2.2 and 2.4 percent the following two years. A large irrigator that uses 72 inches of water would see a 5.5 percent increase in the first year, followed by increases of right around two percent in 2026 and 2027.
The board voted on three components: one to set a public hearing date, another to adopt guidelines and procedures for the submission and tabulation of protests, in accordance with Proposition 218, and a third to adopt a procedures.
All three resolutions passed unanimously. The water-rate hearing and proposed adoption would be on Jan. 14. All public comments must be received by that date, and can be mailed to TID at P.O. Box 949, Turlock, CA 95381, or by email to publiccomment@TID.org.
For more information visit TID.org/WaterRateUpdates.
