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Ventura Water general manager outlines proposed rate increases, infrastructure needs and affordability programs
Summary
Ventura Water General Manager Gina Dorrington told the city podcast that rate revenue pays for day-to-day operations and major capital projects, including a wastewater-to-drinking-water purification project expected to supply about 20% of future needs; she estimated a typical household may see under $20/month in year one and described assistance programs to reduce burden.
Gina Dorrington, Ventura Water general manager, told the City of San Buenaventura’s Ventura Voices podcast that proposed rate increases are designed to pay operating costs, meet regulatory requirements and fund major capital projects to replace aging water and wastewater infrastructure.
Dorrington said Ventura Water is a nonprofit utility, so ‘‘every dollar that is paid through rates goes back into the water and wastewater infrastructure’’ rather than the city’s general fund. She described the legal framework for rate-setting, citing Proposition 218 and the utility’s cost-of-service study that included a public engagement process and protest provisions.
The general manager outlined what rate revenue covers: day-to-day energy and chemical costs, water delivery and pumping, and projects listed in the utility’s capital improvement plan. She warned that many parts of Ventura’s wastewater system are 50 to 70 years old and require…
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