The San Diego County Local Area Formation Commission voted 5-3 on Monday to allow two rural water districts in North San Diego County to detach from the San Diego County Water Authority.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District, with a total of 56,000 residents, are seeking to join the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County in hopes of securing lower-cost water for farmers.
The Riverside district receives most of its water from the Colorado River Aqueduct and State Water Project and has not invested in expensive drought protection like San Diego’s desalination plant and numerous recycling projects.
“We are grateful to the LAFCO commissioners for their support of our effort to change water suppliers, which will bring much-needed relief to our ratepayers, including our agricultural users, who have been burdened for years by skyrocketing water costs,” said Jack Bebee, general manager of the Fallbrook district.
LAFCO, which is responsible for forming special public districts, did not require a countywide vote by water customers, and did not set a timetable for detachment of the two districts. A vote in Fallbrook and Rainbow will tentatively take place next year.
Water Authority Chair Mel Katz called the decision “unprecedented” and warned of higher costs for water customers in the rest of San Diego County.
“Today’s unprecedented decision by San Diego LAFCO is very disappointing because it will raise water rates for disadvantaged communities, working families, 70% of agriculture in the county, small businesses, and everyone else across our region,” he said after the vote.
“We’re deeply concerned that LAFCO decided that water ratepayers across San Diego County don’t get a say in whether Fallbrook and Rainbow can walk away from their bills and shift their costs to the rest of the county,” he added.
Supervisor Joel Anderson, Solana Beach deputy mayor Kristi Becker, and San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn voting against detachment. Supervisor Jim Despond, El Cajon Mayor Dane White, former Vista Irrigation Director Jo MacKenzie, Alpine Fire Protect District Director Baron Willis, and former North County Fire Protection District Chief Andrew Vanderlaan voted for the split.
LAFCO required Fallbrook and Rainbow to pay an “exit” fee of $4.8 million a year for five years if they leave, but Katz said this doesn’t begin to cover the actual costs.
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner has introduced Assembly Bill 530 that would ultimately require a vote of the entire county to allow the two districts to detach. The bill has not been passed by the Assembly, but remains active.
Updated at 5:45 p.m., Monday, July 10, 2023
