AWWA JTMGT69628

In 2007, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (District) of Calabasas, California, successfully enacted major revenue increases that were phased-in over five years. Required to maintain financial solvency during multiple capital programs, and to enhance customer equity, the District did not receive a single protest from its 21,000 water and sewer customers. Openness and transparency in the planning and review process, and public outreach and attentiveness to customer concerns generated understanding, appreciation and goodwill that translated into acceptance of the increases. With the last major rate update in 1996, the consultant-supported rate study team implemented technical rate-making methods proscribed in the AWWA M-1 Manual titled "Principles of Water Rates, Fees, and Charges," as well as the AWWA 2004 study titled "Avoiding Rate Shock: Making the Case for Water Rates." The District responded to the concerns of customers and board members alike, and demonstrated that the right way to seek funding augmentation is to reach out to an informed community. That successful multi-step outreach process is described in this paper. Includes figures.