East Bay MUD has adopted a steep rate increase that will penalize water conservationists just as much as water wasters. According to the Contra Costa Times, the East Bay Municipal Utility District board voted yesterday to increase rates for everyone by 7.5 percent, starting July 1, and by another 7.5 percent in 2010. East Bay MUD blamed the water-rate increases on a decline in revenues caused by its customers using less water during the drought. But, in truth, the decline was caused by the agency’s failure to charge steeper rates to water guzzlers. And the new rate increases, like last year’s drought surcharge, unfairly taxes people who have been saving water – by increasing their rates at the same pace as those who continue to waste water.
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