BUILDING SECURITY THROUGH TRANSPARENT FISCAL OPERATIONS IRWD has built secure financial standing through careful fiscal stewardship. The District uses a long- range planning approach that is similar to a family who regularly puts money aside over time to pay for the eventual cost of the children’s college education. By anticipating infrastructure needs, IRWD avoids having to dramatically increase customer rates to pay for the repair and replacement of facilities such as pipes, pumps and reservoirs as they age. To ensure equity among customers, IRWD separates the costs of building water and sewer infrastructure from the cost of daily operations and maintenance. Capital infrastructure is financed directly or through general obligation bonds, the costs for which are paid through a combination of property taxes and developer connection fees. Daily operation and maintenance costs are funded primarily by customers’ monthly water and sewer bills. IRWD rates and charges are reviewed and set by the IRWD Board of Directors. STRIVING FOR INNOVATION EVERY DAY IRWD is proud to have a state-of-the-art and state-certified Water Quality Laboratory — one of the best-equipped water labs in Southern California — right in Irvine. Our Water Quality staff continuously monitor the water supply, conducting more than a quarter million laboratory tests each year on water taken from more than 100 sample points throughout the service area. DELIVERING SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY WATER IRWD provides customers with safe, high-quality and reliable drinking water every single day. Our water meets all the exacting standards set by the state and federal governments. The annual IRWD Water Quality Report provides customers with water analysis test results and an explanation of how to interpret the information. See the full report at IRWD.com/quality . To request a copy, email info@IRWD.com or call 949-453-5500 .
ENCOURAGING EFFICIENCY WITH A BUDGET-BASED RATE STRUCTURE
IRWD uses a budget-based rate structure, which offers property-specific water budgets and tiered pricing based on the actual cost of service. The structure provides customers with economic incentives for efficient water use. Water budgets are established for each customer based on the type of home or business, irrigated landscape area, daily weather data and number of residents in the home. Customers who use water within their budget buy water in the lower tiers and enjoy low water bills. Customers who use water in excess of their budget receive a strong pricing signal indicating inefficient or wasteful use. IRWD’s monthly water rates have two components: variable water usage charges set to recapture the variable cost of imported water and local groundwater, and fixed water and sewer service charges set to recover the fixed costs of maintaining the water distribution system. This allows IRWD to provide exceptional service while also encouraging efficient water use and providing for rate stability. The monthly water charges for a typical residential customer are the lowest in Orange County.
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IRWD — AN OVERVIEW | IRWD.com
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