Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Mark Muir, Board Chair San Diego County Water Authority
When the San Diego County Water Authority filed its initial rate case lawsuit in 2010 against the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, we knew it would be a marathon.
Seven years later, we passed another important marker in the long-running litigation when a June 21 ruling by the state Court of Appeal sided with the Water Authority and the San Diego region on several significant issues.
The decision includes a few key takeaways:
The Water Authority argued successfully at the trial court that state law and the state Constitution require MWD to charge for services only what it costs to provide them. MWD convinced the Court of Appeal to reverse the lower court ruling on this key finding. We are concerned about the chilling effect this ruling could have on water transfers and their benefits for the environment.
With so much at stake, the Water Authority will seek review of the appellate court ruling by the California Supreme Court. From the start, this case was expected to land at the state’s high court.
While the June 21 decision secured several important victories for San Diego County, we remain determined to see this case through to a successful conclusion – and we will continue to rely on support from the region’s ratepayers, business leaders and elected officials every step of the way.
More information about the case, including court documents, is at www.sdcwa.org/mwdrate-challengelink.
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