Water bill help (November 22, 2016)

Genevieve Heater’s letter to the editor expressed the opinion that a proposed $3-per-month increase in water bills will strain her budget, and pled for help from the CPUC. If this person had contacted Liberty Utilities, she would have discovered that Liberty and the CPUC have already done something; the California Alternative Rates for Water (CARW) program. CARW offers income-qualified customers a discount on their water bills. This is similar to the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) program offered by Southern California Edison.

Liberty Apple Valley also offers a Military Family Relief Program, which provides extended payment terms to those families experiencing reduced income due to a call to active duty military service.

I found this information on Liberty Apple Valley’s website. Those interested can call 760-247-6484 for details.

Keep in mind that state law prohibits municipalities from offering programs such as CARW, so low-income water users would no longer have this option should the Town be successful in its hostile takeover of Liberty. That would have much more negative impact on more Apple Valley residents such as this correspondent than the rate increase, especially if it’s still the case that 20-25 percent of ratepayers in Apple Valley are currently taking advantage of this program.

Greg Raven is Co-Chair of Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability, and is concerned about quality of life issues.