That’s right, water district officials are proposing hiking
farmers’ water rates by a stupefying 50 percent.
for its employees, is proposing eliminating discounts for farmers that encourage saving water and using fewer fertilizers. These practices are good for the water district and good for its customers. Considering that agricultural customers are among the district’s biggest water users, those benefits are multiplied.
Eliminating their discounts would save the district an estimated $50,000 to $100,000 in the next fiscal year.
If the Santa Clara Valley Water District board approves this senseless proposal in June, farmers who take advantage of the discounts would pay $21.50 an acre foot for water instead of $14.
That’s right, water district officials are proposing hiking farmers’ water rates by a stupefying 50 percent.
Somehow, the well-paid officials at the water district think that eliminating discounts that encourage its biggest customers to save water and use less fertilizer is a good idea.
Especially in a dry water year, it’s stunningly shortsighted.
Many farmers – already struggling to survive – made expensive improvements to their irrigation systems to qualify for the discounts, making the proposal to yank the discount startlingly unfair.
We note that two water district board members – Larry Wilson and Greg Zlotnick – were listed as endorsing last year’s Initiative for the Conservation of Hillsides, Ranchlands and Agricultural Lands (Measure A). Backers of that measure frequently claimed they “support working farms.” Given that, we’re sure that Wilson and Zlotnick will oppose this proposal that will harm working farms.
After all, it would be intellectually dishonest, it seems to us, to support Measure A because you “support working farms” and then vote to discontinue water rate discounts that clearly achieve that goal.
We’re sure that $50,000 to $100,000 of waste can easily be found at the water district. We’re sure there’s not $50,000 to $100,000 of waste in our local working farms.
Encouraging conservation by farmers is clearly in the best interests of the water district and its customers.
Contact South County’s water district trustees, Rosemary Kamei and Sig Sanchez, and urge them to do what’s right, fair and sensible. Urge them to oppose this unfair and shortsighted proposal to eliminate water rate discounts for farmers.
