Sierra Madre : Water Bill Hike on Agenda

City officials will discuss raising water bills to pay for higher pumping charges at the Jan. 28 meeting of the City Council.

City Administrator Jim McRea explained that because the ground-water basin is low due to prolonged drought, it costs the city more to pump water.

The proposed increase would be about 7 cents per 100 cubic feet, raising water charges for a home using 4,000 cubic feet of water in a two-month billing period from $27.60 to $30.40.

McRea said that although overall water consumption in Sierra Madre is down 20% in 1991 compared with 1989 levels, 48% of residents exceeded their allocations in 1991.

According to conservation guidelines established last year, those residents would be warned and then penalized. But McRea said the penalties will be waived for the next four months while the city reassesses whether the guidelines are fair.