Water rates to swell in Pico Rivera?

The latest out of Pico Rivera City Hall:

PICO RIVERA -- Officials have called a special meeting of the Pico Rivera Water Authority for tonight at 6 p.m. to push a Water Master Plan toward completion.
According to Interim Public Works Director Al Cablay, an affirmative vote tonight at City Hall will mean the project moves from a first phase of information gathering to analysis and creating a plan for the future.
That plan is likely to improve rate increases, Cablay said. It will also address drought issues, the use of new technology to reclaim and recycle water, distribution and more.

The city is already finished going through the Water Authority's current situation with a fine toothed comb, and they now want to hire the consulting firm that did the first phase of the project to lead the charge on phase two, which will put together a strategy for the next several years on how to keep the city's thirst for qater quenched.

This plan is likely to include a rate hike, according to Cablay. He said City Manager Chuck Fuentes, along with Interim Finance Director John Herrera, are working on a graduated increase so there isn't too much sticker shock in the early phases of the hike.

No word on how much water rates would rise, as Cablay said it's too soon to know what the water authority will need.

According to Cablay, plans like these are usually revamped every ten years or so. They're expensive, however, so Pico Rivera hasn't gone through the process in more than 20 years.

If it gets a favorable vote tonight, the analysis process is expected to end in February 2009.